His Redeeming Bride

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  The doctor nodded. “All right.”

  “And if she asks, don’t tell her I was the one who paid it.” Something told Neil that she wouldn’t appreciate the gift. “You hear that, Mother?”

  “I’ll be good, son. I promise. I know I tend to brag on you.”

  “Are you sure you won’t stay here until daylight?” Neil asked the older man.

  “No. I need to get back home.” He tipped his hat to them. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  As the doctor made his way down the steps, Neil watched his mother knock on the bedroom door. “Sarah? I brought some water.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Craftsman,” came the tired voice from inside the room.

  So she could be nice when she wanted to be. Neil bit his tongue and made his way across the hall to his room. While his mother opened the door, he snuck a peek into Cassie’s old room. In the darkness of the hall, Sarah Donner wouldn’t notice him. A kerosene lamp lit the bedroom, casting a warm glow over her and the sleeping child she held to her bosom. She sat up in the bed, a thick pink blanket covering her legs and waist. She wore a nightgown that his mother had retrieved from the trunk in her wagon. Her face glowed with pleasure as she smiled at her son. She looked like an angel.

  “The poor thing is worn out,” his mother softly told her.

  “He’s had a busy day, that’s for sure,” Sarah replied. “I didn’t think I could be this happy.”

  “Do you have a name for him?”

  “Luke.”

  His mother patted her arm. “That’s a lovely name.”

  The scene playing in front of him almost seemed as if it came from a dream. His heart ached at the loveliness of witnessing a mother’s joy over her child. How many times did he beg Cassie to show an interest in Emily?

  Swallowing the bitter lump in his throat, he stepped into his bedroom and shut the door, feeling more alone and empty than he had since the day he found Cassie sleeping with another man. Shoving the memory aside, he slid into bed, not even bothering to take off his clothes. Weary, he shut his eyes and prayed for Sarah to take her son and leave as soon as possible.

  Chapter Four

  Two days later, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when Ben offered to take her and Neil’s mother, Gwendolyn, to their homes. She did like Gwendolyn, who insisted on being called Gwen. Gwen made it possible for Sarah to be in Neil’s house without compromising her good name. Now she could return to her life and put this horrible ordeal behind her.

  The cloudy sky threatened snow, and she pulled Luke closer to her bosom, wrapping her coat around him to protect him from the cold. She sat between Ben and Gwen as he drove her wagon into town. Her geldings moved at a steady pace, and since Ben took the dirt road, the journey was smoother than the one she endured with Jim, which was good because she was still sore from giving birth.

  Even though Sarah stared at the gentle yellow hills in the distance, Gwen chatted nonstop. The chatting didn’t bother her. In fact, it was a relief because it meant she didn’t have to come up with things to talk about.

  “Of course, you’ll wish to send your mother-in-law a letter,” Gwen rambled on. “She will be delighted to have a grandchild. Why, I’m still grateful to Cassie that she gave me Emily.”

  Sarah looked down at her sleeping son. He had her blond hair, though not as much of it, and her forehead, nose and cheeks, but he also had Jim’s chin and thin lips. She dreaded the thought of sending Jim’s mother a letter but knew it had to be done. At least she wouldn’t have to live with the woman.

  She smiled at Gwen. “I appreciate your help with Luke. It was nice having another woman around.”

  “Just wait until your mother-in-law hears that she has a grandson. She’ll be eager to visit and help. Where did you say she lives?”

  Sarah hadn’t said, nor did she care to, but to be nice to Gwen, she lied. “Oh, she’s far away. I’m not sure she’ll be able to make the trip.”

  “What a shame.”

  Ben, who had been silent the entire time, halted the geldings as they approached town. Looking at Sarah, he asked, “Do you mind if I take Mrs. Craftsman to her house first?”

  “No,” Sarah replied. She looked at Gwen. “I’m sure you’re tired.”

  “No more than you are, but I’ll be glad to get home, Ben.”

  He nodded and took her home. Afterwards, Ben took Sarah to her home. He helped her down from the wagon, and she was careful not to disturb her son.

  Sarah turned her head to the sound of her front door opening and cried in alarm when her landlord motioned for two men to carry her couch out of the house. Running up to the balding man, she asked, “Mr. Murphy, what’s going on?”

  Her landlord slipped his pocket watch into his black suit and rubbed his protruding belly. “What’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on. Your husband neglected to pay February’s rent before he died. It’s February first.”

  “But...” She paused as one of the tall men bumped into her. Muttering an apology, she moved aside. “Mr. Murphy, Jim got shot and died on the day I went into labor. I wasn’t able to get back until today. See?” She showed him Luke. “So, I wasn’t here to pay you.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You say you got money?”

  She faltered. “Oh. I don’t have any on me.”

  “Keep it coming, men!” He motioned to two more men who were taking her belongings out of the house. “I’m running a business here, Mrs. Donner, and it doesn’t do me any good when a tenant can’t pay the rent.”

  “Wait!” She frantically tried to stop the men who were taking her chairs out of the house but they brushed past her. She hurried back to Mr. Murphy. “I’m going to sell my things. When I do, I can get the money to pay you. Please! I’ll make up for this month’s rent and next month’s too. I’m sure the china we own will be worth that much.”

  “Aren’t you aware of your husband’s debts?”

  Luke squirmed against her bosom, moving his head in an attempt that told her he was hungry. She pushed aside his grunting so she could focus on the landlord. “Jim had debts?”

  The man shook his head and ran a pudgy hand over his face. “I am truly sorry. This isn’t the way a woman should find out. He did some betting and lost money.”

  Three men returned to the house while another one finished loading a chair into a large wagon. The sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach grew larger. Everything was happening too fast. If only the men would stop taking her things out of her house, she might be able to concentrate!

  “Mrs. Donner?”

  “I’m afraid you’re wrong, Mr. Murphy. Jim never gambled a day in his life.”

  “I wish that was true.”

  Another man came up to them with a crate containing her things from her bedroom, including her jewelry box. “Who does this go to, Murphy?”

  Her landlord examined the contents of the box. “I believe Ethan Thompson will want those.”

  She gasped. Ethan Thompson! He was a regular at the gaming tables at the saloon. “No! Jim never went to the saloon. I know because he slept in bed with me every night.”

  The man holding the crate looked sympathetic. “He didn’t play cards, ma’am. He bet on horses. They have horse races outside of town and Ethan placed bets for him. He didn’t have to be there to win or lose.”

  No! Please God no! It has to be a mistake. Jim would never gamble. It’s wrong!

  The man motioned to the box. “Is there anything in here you’d like to keep?”

  Blinking back her tears, she peered into the crate and saw the locket her parents had given her when she was a girl. It was the only thing that contained any real value to her. The rest of the jewelry was given to her by Jim in order to impress other people. “Can I have the gold oval-shaped locket?”

  He shifted his weight. He pulled it out of the jewelry box and handed it to her.

  She took it and backed away, watching as he carried the crate to the wagon.

  Luke’s i
mpatient wiggles caught her attention. She bounced him in her arms, hoping to distract him so she could think of what to do next.

  Ben, who had stayed by her wagon the whole time, came over to her. “Ma’am, do you have somewhere to go?”

  Realizing she didn’t have a choice, she left Mr. Murphy and turned back to the street. “I have a couple of friends I might be able to stay with.”

  He nodded and went with her to every friend she had. Her friend Caroline Jones agreed to take her and Luke into her home, but as soon as Sarah realized her children and husband were sick, she refrained since she didn’t want to expose Luke to an illness. Her friend Rachel Ludwig couldn’t take her and Luke in because her house was too full with her six kids, her parents, and her husband’s father. The rest of the people she went to said no. They were nice about it, but she thought they could help if they wanted to. Even the boarding house was full, and despite her offer to sleep in the parlor, the owner said no.

  After two hours of going through town, she stood in front of the preacher’s door as he softly shut the door on her face. She broke down and cried. Luke, probably sensing her anguish, wailed too.

  Ben slipped her quilt over her shoulders and turned her to the wagon. “Come back to Mr. Craftsman’s place. He has plenty of room, and he could use a woman to help with Emily and the house.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.” Her voice broke.

  “Then where will you go?”

  The question stung, for who would take her in? She exhausted all options but one. Jim’s mother. But Beatrice would take Luke and toss her out. And she wasn’t about to part from her son. She’d rather risk being in Neil’s home. At least he had the other farmhands and his daughter there to keep him honest. Yes, for the sake of her son, she’d stay with him. If he’d even let her after the way she treated him.

  “Will Mr. Craftsman be willing to let me stay?” she ventured, suddenly afraid of his refusal. “I wasn’t very nice to him.”

  “He’s a compassionate man. He wouldn’t want to see a mother and child without a home. Come. I’ll help you back into the wagon.”

  Her sobs subsiding, she could only pray he was right about Neil as she got onto the wagon seat. Shivering and cradling the sleeping child in her arms, she wondered if she was making a big mistake. Perhaps Luke would be better off with Beatrice. No. Beatrice would never let her stay too. Sarah would rather be with Neil. At least he might take them both in. She looked at Luke, her love flowing out to him. No one was going to separate them. She’d make sure of that.

  ***

  Neil stared at Ben for a good minute before he said, “No. She’s not staying here.” Taking his eyes off the wagon where Sarah and her son sat out of hearing distance, he spun on his heel. He made it three full strides to the barn when Jacob jumped in front of him. “Get out of my way,” he snapped.

  Jacob sighed. “Look, under any other circumstance, I wouldn’t bother you.”

  “Great. Then pretend this is ‘any other circumstance’.”

  Ben stepped to the side to block Neil as he moved around Jacob. “We can’t just leave a new mother out in the cold. She has nowhere to go.”

  “Then put her up in the bunkhouse.”

  “Oh, we can’t have her in there with all the hands,” Ben argued.

  “What about your house?”

  Jacob shook his head. “My wife and I have a one room cabin. We aren’t setup for company.”

  Neil shook his head. “This is ridiculous! I am not getting involved with a judgmental woman who thinks her halo outshines the sun. I have a right to respect in my own home.”

  “Granted, she was harsh with you,” Jacob began, “but we know you’re not the man she thinks you are. Given time, I’m sure she’ll see that too.”

  “I don’t care what she thinks of me as long as I don’t have to deal with her.”

  The baby’s cries resonated through the calm air. Neil grimaced. How fitting it was that the child cried at that moment.

  “If for no other reason, couldn’t you let her stay so the baby can be safe?”

  Damn! If she hadn’t been with a child, he could have refused without a trace of guilt. He eyed his hired hand who defended the prissy widow. “Fine. I’ll let her stay in Cassie’s old bedroom.”

  Jacob and Ben grinned like idiots. Neil grunted. They were much too happy to have her stay. Whatever his farmhands saw in her to like, he didn’t get it. Bracing himself for another unpleasant encounter, he straightened his coat and marched over to her. She glanced his way but wouldn’t make eye contact with him. He gritted his teeth. She was no better than Cassie. Fooling everyone else into believing she was nice. And only he knew the truth.

  Stopping in front of the wagon, ignoring the baby’s cries and her rocking him, he stiffly said, “I hear you have no place to stay.”

  She winced and looked his way. “You heard right.”

  He could barely hear her over her son’s insistent demands. The poor kid had been stuck outside for at least four hours. He had to be cold and hungry. Sarah’s worried look told Neil that she loved her son. And that love just might be her sole redeeming quality. Neil’s anger faded. “What happened to your home?”

  She focused on swaddling her son as she answered. “My husband didn’t pay the rent.”

  “What about his money?”

  Her cheeks seemed to grow redder than they already were from the cold. “Apparently, he gambled.”

  Great. The more he learned, the more he felt sorry for her. “And your friends?”

  “They don’t have room for me.”

  “And your preacher?” The minute he saw her tears, he regretted pressing her for information. He sighed. “Come on down and get into the house. Both of you need to sit by the fireplace.”

  He fully expected her to find some reason to argue, or at least insist that Jacob help her down from the wagon, but she held her hand out to him, careful to hold the baby close to her with her free arm. Once her feet reached the ground, she lifted her eyes to meet his. “Believe me, Mr. Craftsman, if I had anywhere else to go, I wouldn’t be here.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be flaunting your high morals on me.”

  “I’m not.” Her voice wavered. “I just meant that I know you don’t like me. I have been rude to you. I was scared of you.” She wiped her wet cheeks. “To be honest, I still am. But I have nothing and I can’t afford to lose my son. I’ll do whatever you ask. Ben said you could use someone to clean the house and cook meals for you and Emily.”

  “I have a farmhand who cooks, and my mother cleans and does laundry for me and Emily.”

  “I can sew. I can teach Emily how to read and write and do math.”

  “I have money to buy clothes and Emily goes to school. In fact, I’m due to pick her up soon.”

  The breeze ruffled her bonnet. “Mr. Craftsman, there must be something I can do to earn my keep.”

  He had gotten used to not having a woman around, besides his mother. He wasn’t sure what chore to offer her so she could feel useful. He decided that she might as well assume the responsibilities of running a house. Surely, she would cook better meals than his hired hand. If she sewed, it would save him money, and cleaning was hard on his mother’s back. “All right,” he finally said. “I can think of stuff for you to do. Let’s get to the house.”

  She bit her lower lip and watched him.

  He closed his eyes, willing himself to remain calm. “Didn’t you just ask if you could stay here?” When she didn’t respond, he opened his eyes. “Well?”

  She shifted from one foot to the other. “You don’t expect me to...I mean, I’ll do anything at all, but I can’t do one certain thing.”

  Her meaning dawned on him. He blinked, feeling as if she slapped him. “Is that really what you think of me? I have a daughter, for goodness’ sakes. If I wouldn’t want someone treating Emily like that, why would I treat you that way?”

  She opened he
r mouth to speak.

  He held his hand up to her. “Don’t even bring up my past. My past is just that. The past. You can’t condemn a man for what he’s done. You have to look at what he’s doing. Everyone deserves a second chance, Mrs. Donner. And I assure you, if I were to look for a woman to bed, she wouldn’t be a stuck up prude such as yourself.” He pointed to his home. “I expect you to do what you said you are qualified to do. You will cook, clean, do laundry, and sew. You will also be a mother to Emily, and I better see you treating her like she’s important because she is. She will continue to go to school so she can play with other children. Now, are you going to get into that house and warm your screaming child or are you going to stay out here and let him freeze to death?”

  She paled. “Forgive me, Mr. Craftsman. I’ll do what you ask.”

  He received a small amount of satisfaction in having taken her down a notch, but it bothered him to no end that she would even assume that he’d demand she warm his bed in exchange for offering her and her son a place to sleep and eat. Five years. He spent the last five years living a squeaky clean life and what was there to show for it? People still assumed the worst about him.

  Chapter Five

  Sarah followed Neil to the house, her nerves already set on edge from having dealt with a crying baby for the past hour. Luke wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t wet. He wasn’t even tired. He was cold. Neil was right. She wasn’t doing her child any good by staying outside arguing with him. Something deep in her heart told her that she could trust him, that he wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. She saw the care in his eyes when he glanced at her son. She noted the pride in his voice when he said Emily’s name. A man who valued children as much as he did couldn’t be a monster.

  The sudden insight caused her cheeks to warm in embarrassment. That she jumped to conclusions may have been understandable, considering all the horror stories she heard of his decadent lifestyle, but he had acted honorably toward her. Sure he got upset and snapped at her, but she had to admit she deserved it.