His Redeeming Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Look. No one here is going to harm you, all right? We’re just trying to help.”

  “I don’t know if I have a home to go to. That’s my problem.” She wrung the towel in her hands. “Jim didn’t own it outright. He rented it.”

  “He had some assets though, right?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Neil hated to pry into her personal life but saw little choice. “He must have left you some money in his will. Surely, that will be enough to see you through this until...” He shrugged. “Until the money runs out.”

  “Can I go now, boss?” Cal interrupted.

  Nodding, he gave his final instructions to Cal who looked relieved to leave. Neil closed the door and pulled out the chair across from her, hoping she wouldn’t panic. “Did your husband have any money?”

  “I don’t know. He never discussed it with me.”

  He sighed. “Do you have friends in town?”

  “Yes.”

  “They will be the ones to go to for help. I want you to go home and go to them. Are you part of a church?”

  “Of course. I am an honorable woman.”

  The way she said those words made his skin crawl, for he understood her tone to insinuate that she was too good to hang around the likes of him. Forcing aside his irritation, he eased out of the chair, suddenly needing to get away from her. Wishing to remain polite since she was his guest, albeit a rude one, he said, “Then you will have support to see you through this tragedy. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll see what’s keeping Cal and Ben.” I’m sure you want to get away from me as much as I want to get away from you, you judgmental brat. Offering a stiff smile, he added, “Don’t forget to drink some water. The trip to town will take an hour and I’m sure you’re thirsty.”

  He didn’t wait for her reply. He stomped out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Calm down. Take deep breaths. Don’t listen to people like her. I’m not the same man I was back then.

  Chapter Three

  Sarah blinked in surprise as the banging of the door echoed through the quiet house. What got him in such a fit? Truth be told, she was relieved to be alone. Who knew what Neil Craftsman was capable of doing to a newly widowed woman? If he had his way with her, which would be by force for she would never allow him to touch her, then he would be off free and clear. After all, she was already with child. There’d be no proof that he raped her. She shivered and pulled her coat protectively around her shoulders. Never before had she felt so vulnerable. First, the thieves nearly attacked her. Then her husband abandoned her. And to top it all off, Neil dragged her into his lair.

  She gasped and stood up. Rushing to the door, she turned the knob, relieved when the door opened. He hadn’t locked her in. Thank goodness. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Of all people to end up needing assistance from, it would have to be Neil Craftsman. She spied Neil talking to Ben and Cal as they laid the body of her dead husband into the back of her wagon.

  Tears sprang to her eyes. Who would take care of her? It wasn’t just her who needed help. Rubbing her belly, she stared at the cloudy sky, wondering how she was supposed to support herself and a baby when she had no skills. Who would hire her?

  She wiped her eyes with the towel and debated what to do. One thing was for sure: she wouldn’t go to Jim’s mother. Without him around to drag her there, she didn’t have to associate with that dreadful woman ever again. Breathing a sigh of relief, she placed the towel on the wood table and glanced around the small beige kitchen. She rubbed her lower back. It had been bothering her since she and Jim left home.

  Jim. The reminder of her husband made her wonder why the news of his death failed to evoke any emotion in her. It should have. She should care. She should be sad. The tears she shed weren’t caused by losing him but by losing his financial support. She had lied to Neil. She didn’t know who was going to take care of her and the baby. The friends she had couldn’t afford another mouth to feed, and though she regularly attended church with Jim, she didn’t feel comfortable asking for help. He had wanted people to think he was well off but the truth was, they were one paycheck away from poverty, and now that he was no longer able to work, she didn’t have a penny to her name.

  She couldn’t go back to that church and tell everyone the truth. Not with the way Jim bragged about his wealth. It would be too humiliating. She had been the one to scrimp for every cent to help one of their friends who needed food. They couldn’t help her, even if she confessed everything to them. She knew they would sympathize with her, but sympathy couldn’t put food on the table. For the first time since she met him, she cursed him for spending everything he had on things they didn’t need in order to gain others’ approval. What good did all the material possessions do her now?

  Perhaps they would do her some good. She didn’t need to keep them. She didn’t need them now that Jim wasn’t around. If she sold them, then she could get by for awhile. If she managed to get a job and enlist the help of one of her friends to watch the baby while she worked, then she might make it. Feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she gathered her composure and left the house.

  By the time she reached Neil, Ben, and Cal, she spotted the two thieves who had their hands tied behind their backs in the wagon. They sat as far from Jim’s body as they could.

  Neil looked at her with those dark brows furrowed, which gave her the creeps. The man was a monster. It was no wonder his wife insisted on divorcing him. He probably treated her with great cruelty. Why, just look at the way he forced unsuspecting, innocent women into his home! Thankfully, his farmhand had interrupted him before he did whatever it was he planned to do to her, and if he thought that she was going to idly sit in that kitchen and wait for him to make his move, he had another thing coming. She was getting back home where she could figure out exactly what to sell and what to keep.

  “I assume you’re ready to go home,” Neil said.

  “Yes. The sooner I get back, the better.” Though that’s too bad for you, I suppose.

  “Do you need anything? I could give you something.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a bill. “Considering you just lost your husband, it seems that this would be appropriate. Here you go. It’s a gift for the baby.”

  She backed away from the dollar bill, feeling tainted just by looking at it. He used to offer money to prostitutes for goodness’ sakes! Struggling to keep the shock out of her voice, she replied, “No, thank you, Mr. Craftsman. The trip to town will be more than enough.”

  He frowned for a moment before he stuffed the bill back into his pocket. “I meant no disrespect. An expectant widow isn’t exactly self-sufficient.”

  “Well, I don’t need your help,” she snapped without meaning to.

  “Fine. Then you won’t be getting it. Ben, Cal, get away from the wagon. Let her take it back.”

  To her surprise, Ben and Cal obeyed, despite the fact that they looked like they wanted to protest. She couldn’t believe that a scoundrel like Neil could attract such loyal employees.

  Neil spread his arm to the wagon and motioned to the front seat. “There you go, your majesty. Your carriage awaits.” He crossed his arms and watched her.

  Oh, the audacity of the man, to act as if she thought more highly of herself than she ought! The simple fact of the matter was that she was too good for him. After all, his type of woman spent most of her time on her back collecting money from customers in exchange for meeting their needs. No wonder his wife left him. He must have demanded that she try all sorts of perversions in the bedroom with him. The soiled doves at the saloon in town knew some clever tricks, or so she heard, and judging by his comment about knowing how to please a woman, she didn’t doubt that assumption any longer.

  “I can do it,” she finally said, sounding more confident than she felt.

  Neil raised his brows, as if challenging her.

  She straightened her coat and thrust her chin forward. She marched up to the wagon.

  “H
ere. Let me help you in,” Ben called to her.

  She waited for him, grateful for his assistance, and as she reached for his hand, she gasped.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Neil said. “You can’t find him repulsive too!”

  Glancing uneasily at the three men, she couldn’t move. She felt strange. Before she could figure out what bothered her, water gushed down between her legs.

  “Oh...shoot,” Ben replied, scrambling to get away from her.

  “Boss,” Cal began, “I think she’s going to foal.”

  “That’s for mares, not women,” Neil gruffly said. He shot her a dirty look. “You couldn’t wait until you got back?”

  She blinked and shook her head. “It’s not like I can control this sort of thing.”

  “Well, I don’t want you here, nor do I want you giving birth in my house.” He glanced to his left. “Oh good. The doctor’s here. You can go with him.”

  The sticky water continued to trickle down her legs. She cringed, feeling more disgusting than she had in her entire life.

  Doctor Adams hopped off his horse and approached her. “I take it you’re ready to give birth.”

  “Not on my property, she’s not.” Neil glared at her. “I’ve had enough of her.”

  “Her water just broke. Birth is imminent,” the older man replied.

  “She’s too good for the likes of me and my house. She can give birth in her wagon.”

  “Next to her dead husband and two thieves?” Cal asked.

  “Is that wise, Boss?” Ben added.

  The doctor shook his head. “That baby needs a warm place. We’ll go into the house. Come along, Mrs. Donner.” He gently took her by the elbow.

  She stood her ground. The biting wind ruffled her bonnet. “Can’t I make it home?”

  He gave her a kind smile. “I don’t feel like delivering a baby out in the elements.”

  Neil groaned. “All right. Bring her in. She can give birth in the spare bedroom.”

  “I’m not even in pain,” she insisted, rubbing her belly as the baby kicked. “My home isn’t far.”

  Doctor Adams wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked at her. “These babies can come quicker than you’d expect. Why, your water broke two weeks early.”

  “But...I mean...” Neil Craftsman’s residence was the last place she wanted to deliver her child in. She wasn’t superstitious by nature but being born in the house of an immoral man couldn’t be a good beginning for her child. Ignoring Neil’s accusing stare, she whispered in the doctor’s ear. “People might talk. What if they assume I acted inappropriately in his house?”

  The doctor chuckled. He kept his voice low. “Mrs. Donner, you must give people and Mr. Craftsman more credit than that. Neither will ruin your reputation. You are here to give birth and that’s that.” In a louder voice, he continued, “Now, come along.”

  She glanced at Cal and Ben to see if they would offer to help but they kept their attention on the wagon’s wheels. Jacob, who had remained silent, took the doctor’s horse to the barn.

  “Good,” the doctor said. “It’s settled. Ben and Cal, why don’t you take care of Mr. Donner and those two.” He pointed to the thieves.

  Ben and Cal scuffled to get into the wagon as if they couldn’t get away fast enough. As Ben clicked the reins to get the geldings moving, she sighed, envying their ability to leave. A sudden wave of pain shot from her back and up her abdomen. She yelped and grabbed her belly.

  Neil threw his hands up in the air. “Well, don’t just stand there. Get her into the house!” He muttered something under his breath as he stomped to the front door and waved them to him.

  After the pain ceased, she exhaled. Realizing she didn’t have a choice, she allowed the doctor to lead her into the kitchen, up the wooden steps and into a sparse bedroom. The mattress and finely carved headboard looked expensive. The bare oak dresser which stood next to the large oak wardrobe would have made Jim drool from their fine craftsmanship. Neil either had a lot of money or a lot of debt.

  Another contraction caught her off guard and she closed her eyes, silently counting as she always did when in pain. Once she could concentrate on her surroundings, she saw Neil hand the doctor a stack of old newspapers. The doctor spread them across the mattress and motioned for her to lie down.

  “I want to see how far along you are,” he said, taking off his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp, blue shirt.

  She darted a glance in Neil’s direction as he brought in a pile of clean towels and set them on the dresser. Her cheeks flushed. Turning to the doctor, she asked, “He’s not going see me, is he?” Sensing Neil’s aggravation, she ignored him while she waited for the doctor’s answer.

  “Neil, will you please get me some fresh water?”

  Neil stiffly nodded. “I’ll bring up wood and matches for the box stove too. Then you can get a fire started.”

  Funny. In all the excitement, she hadn’t noticed the cold room.

  When Neil left, the doctor smiled at her. “I assure you that despite Mr. Craftsman’s past, he is a good man.”

  She raised a brow, unwilling to be comforted.

  The sound of rushing footsteps followed by shouts from a girl and a woman took her attention off their conversation. She watched as a pretty girl with a long black braid bouncing against her back ran into the room, her cheeks and nose red from being outside. “It’s true then. You’re going to have a baby? Can I watch?”

  Sarah’s jaw dropped. The girl couldn’t be serious! Matters of birthing weren’t appropriate for children.

  A woman, probably in her fifties, entered the room, out of breath. “Forgive her. Emily gets excited when it comes to babies.”

  “Yes, I always wanted a baby brother or sister.” Emily frowned, her full pink lips turned into a pout. “They would be more fun to play with than a doll.”

  “That’s what she thinks.” The woman smiled. “Come along, Emily. The doctor has to tend to Mrs...I’m sorry. What is your name?”

  “Sarah Donner.” She felt a now familiar tightening around her abdomen and braced for the next round of pain.

  “Why does she look like she tasted something icky?” Emily asked.

  Neil placed a bowl with a pitcher of water in it on the dresser. Sarah tried to move out of his way but couldn’t with her legs feeling like a formidable wall of steel. It was all she could do to remain standing. Without glancing in Sarah’s direction, Neil placed wood into the gray cast iron box stove and started a fire. Then he lifted Emily into his arms. “We need to leave Mrs. Donner and the doctor alone.”

  “Actually,” Doctor Adams began, “another pair of helping hands would be appreciated. Mrs. Craftsman, do you mind?”

  The woman stepped forward. “Oh, no. I’d be glad to help.”

  “Grandma, I want to stay and help too,” Emily protested, reaching for the older woman.

  “This isn’t for children, sweetheart,” Neil said.

  Despite Emily’s complaints, he took her out of the room. Sarah nearly cried with relief since Neil wouldn’t be nearby. It was bad enough being in his house. She took off her coat and got ready to give birth.

  ***

  At 10:30 that evening, Neil woke up to the sound of a baby crying. He jerked up from the couch in the parlor, surprised he had been able to fall asleep with Mrs. Donner’s groaning and screaming. He glanced at the chair where Emily slept with a blanket wrapped around her tiny body.

  He went to the kitchen where his mother was pouring a cup of coffee.

  She turned to him. “Oh Neil, I feel so blessed to have witnessed a baby’s birth. I regret not seeing Emily born. I would have liked to have been there to help Cassie.” She took a sip from the blue cup. “I hope it’s all right if I stay through the night to assist Sarah so you can sleep. I know you have a hard day ahead of you and the doctor’s getting ready to leave.”

  Considering Sarah Donner’s aversion to him, she would probably be relieved if his mother stayed t
o help her. “That might be best.”

  She motioned to the coffee pot. “Would you like something to drink before you go to bed?”

  “No. I’m fine. Just focus on my...our...” What exactly was Sarah anyway? He couldn’t say she was his annoyance. Sighing, he finished, “Focus on the guest.”

  And that is what Mrs. Donner had become, at least for a couple of days while she recovered. It was going to be a long two or three days. He considered taking Emily to her bed but decided against it. Once Emily woke up, she didn’t go back to sleep and he didn’t feel up to telling her bedtime stories. He simply thanked his mother and climbed the steps.

  The doctor emerged from Cassie’s old bedroom and shut the door quietly behind him. Though he looked ragged, he grinned from ear to ear. “She did just fine,” he told Neil as Neil reached the top step. “I think the baby may be the thing she needs to get through her husband’s death.”

  Despite his better judgment, for he did not wish to get involved in her life, he asked, “Did she have a boy or a girl?”

  “A boy.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps on the creaking stairs. His mother came up with another cup. There was no denying the wistful expression on her face. She had wished for more grandchildren and all he had been able to give her was Emily. And Emily wasn’t her real grandchild. His heart tightened at the reminder that Cassie had been with child when they married. Of course, he hadn’t known until later. He had the sudden inclination to run off and hide in a small town further out west where he could start a new life and forget everything. Except for Emily. He would take her with him.

  “Thank you for all your help, Doctor Adams,” his mother whispered.

  The house seemed oddly quiet after all the commotion from the past five hours. Neil figured that Sarah and the baby must be all right if the doctor wasn’t concerned. “Doctor, I’ll pay the bill for this birth.”

  His mother rested a hand on his arm. “Oh Neil, are you sure?”

  “Mrs. Donner lost her husband today. It’s the least I can do to ease her burden.” The last thing a widow needed was more bills to pay. He looked at the doctor. “I’ll pay for your services.”