As she sped by the parlor, she glimpsed the four boys standing at attention, being questioned by the Belfords. Mark stood with his head down, worrying the button on his shirt. The twins were practically glued to each other, holding hands. Nobody looked happy. It wasn’t her place to interfere, so she continued with supper preparations.
Nate entered through the back door, juggling packages.
“Mrs. Fenwick had a loaf of bread just coming out of the oven, so it’s nice and hot. She had only two pies left, sweet potato and dried apple, so I bought both.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. That will really help.” She rushed around the kitchen, heat rising to her face as her heart did a rat-a-tat-tat. A moan escaped as she glanced through the window. “Oh no. The wash is still hanging out.”
“Whoa, slow down.” Nate grabbed her flying apron strings. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss. “Calm down, honey, it’s only supper.”
She licked her lips, nodded quickly, and wrenched away, continued to open and close cabinet doors, looking for serving dishes. In a few minutes, all was ready, and she sent Nate into the parlor to ask everyone to come to the table.
Mr. Belford looked at the table and pursed his lips. “I believe those are Amy’s napkin and table cloth.” Mrs. Belford sniffed and took the seat Nate held out for her.
Nate ignored her remark while Angel helped the boys into their seats, and then ran to the pantry for the butter. Nate squeezed her hand and led her to a seat. He then sat at the head of the table, and bowed his head.
After the prayer, Mrs. Belford glared in Nate’s direction. “That wasn’t the blessing we raised Amy to say.”
“Very observant, Emily.” Nate picked up a piece of bread and buttered it.
“Why not?” Mr. Belford said.
Nate put his bread down, and looked directly at the man. “Because my family goes to the local Methodist church. And that’s the blessing we use.”
Mrs. Belford crossed herself and mumbled something. Mr. Belford looked angry as he attacked his beans.
I’d prefer to be back on the stagecoach being held up by the outlaws.
Eventually the meal came to an end. Matt looked up from the piece of pie he devoured. “Are you sleeping here tonight?”
Emily looked directly at Nate. “If it’s no trouble. We would rather not spend the money for a hotel. Besides, as we came through town, we noticed the hotel didn’t look too respectable.”
Nate shook his head. “It’s no problem.”
Angel shot him a look, her eyebrows raised.
He sighed. “You two can take our bedroom. Angel can sleep with the boys, and I’ll sleep on the settee.”
Another night to lie awake and wonder what I’m missing.
Every time she caught Nate staring at her as if she was his next meal, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. His touch raised goose bumps, and his good night kisses ignited a fire in her she was more than ready to explore.
Although nervous when she first arrived, contemplating all that went on between a husband and wife, her fears had slowly turned into frustration. At least if she could meet his expectations in the bedroom, he might be patient with her other shortcomings.
9
Nate sat on the settee, relishing the quiet as the house settled down for the night. He’d managed to give his wife one decent kiss before she went into the boys’ room to sleep. It wasn’t his imagination that she was as reluctant to end the kiss as he. It seemed his shy, hesitant bride was no longer timid. Maybe the enforced wait had been good for her. It’d certainly increased his desire. As he lay next to her each night, her softness brushing against him was torture. Oftentimes she’d wrap herself around him in sleep. Just thinking about it beaded his forehead with sweat.
Mr. and Mrs. Belford had retired upstairs shortly after Angel supervised the washing and bedding of the children, while Nate was sent out to bring in the wash. As he folded the dry clothes, he’d listened to her read a story in the boys’ room. It had become a nightly habit. She loved to read, and the boys loved to hear the stories. Tonight, she’d read from The Swiss Family Robinson, and the boys were enthralled.
No doubt with all the confusion today, his wife hadn’t been to see Dr. Penrose. He would have to remind her to do that tomorrow. The way she raced around the kitchen tonight, she must be all healed up, but he would feel better knowing the doctor gave his okay. Of course, what Nate wanted the doctor’s okay for wouldn’t be happening tonight.
Again.
Sighing, he poured a brandy, and returned to the settee, stretching his long legs out, and peered at the darkness. He took a sip and wondered at the feasibility of leaving the children in the care of their grandparents, grabbing Angel, and heading to the hotel in town for a quiet night. Although the Belfords hadn’t found the hotel respectable, he sure didn’t need a respectable hotel for what he had in mind. Just a bed big enough for the two of them, with no interruptions.
He chuckled to himself, thinking how scandalized Angel would be if she knew his thoughts. Then again, maybe not. He continued to sit and stare out the window at the darkness. It was going to be another long night.
* * *
Nate sat up and dragged his hand down his face. Every muscle in his body ached. His mouth felt like cotton, and his head pounded.
How the hell much brandy did I drink last night?
He shook his head to clear it and stumbled into the kitchen. As long as he was up, he might as well put on the coffee.
“What should I make for breakfast?” Angel entered the kitchen behind him, tying an apron over her dress.
“Oatmeal. It’s pretty hard to mess up.”
“Well, I am trying, you know.” She snapped back.
Given his frame of mind, he decided to let it go, although he should have apologized. God, it was hard to be in the same room with her, day after day, and not touch her the way he wanted to. If he didn’t get relief soon, he would probably be a cripple.
With them working together, they got a decent meal on the table, and soon said goodbye to the Belfords. The boys followed them out the door, off to school. Nate disappeared for a while, leaving Angel to clean up from breakfast and get Julia-Rose ready for the day.
Out of breath, Nate hurried in the front door. “Angel, there’s a Mrs. Murphy three houses down. She’ll watch Julia-Rose, Luke, and John when you go to town to see Dr. Penrose today.”
“Why?” Angel stopped in the middle of wiping the table.
“I think it will be easier to see the doctor with them out of the way.” He snapped his fingers as if a thought occurred. “In fact, I’ll pick you up in the buggy, and drive you there. We can drop them off before we leave.”
Angel stared at him for a minute, frowning. “I guess it would be easier without the children. Are you sure she won’t mind?”
“Not at all. She’s taken care of them for me before when Mrs. Darby wasn’t available.”
He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and headed for the door. “I’ll be back around noon, but don’t eat. We’ll have a meal in town.”
* * *
Angel glanced worriedly at the clock. Nate should be home any minute for her doctor appointment and she could not find Julia-Rose. The baby had been sound asleep in her cot when Angel took the time to wash up and change her dress. When she went to fetch the child, the bed was empty. She had checked all her usual hiding places, to no avail.
“John, can you and Luke come here, please?” Her voice trembled as she called from the door to the boys who played in the yard.
“Can I ask you a favor?” Both boys looked at her excitedly, ready to help the only adult who always seemed to need them.
“Um, Julia-Rose was taking a nap, and now she’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find her.” She twisted her hands and tried to calm her heart.
I can’t believe I’m telling my problem to five-year-olds. Worse, I’m hoping they can solve it.
I’ve sunk so low.
Angel flew to the back of the house, and, sure enough, a giggling Julia-Rose had wedged herself in the corner of the cabinet. In her frantic search, Angel had only quickly checked the room.
Of course, if the laundry hadn’t been piled so high, I might have thought to look there.
Feeling lightheaded at finally locating the child, she sat on the floor to put her head between her knees.
“But how did she get here?” Her voice rasped.
“She can crawl.”
“Oh.” Angel let out a breath. Nathan may excuse a lot of her shortcomings, but losing one of his children was most likely not one of them.
Julia-Rose giggled and crawled to her. “Mama.” Angel burst into tears and hugged the soft body. She buried her head in the little girl’s sweet smelling hair. How she’d grown to love this little one. The twins stood together, as always clutching each other’s hands, their eyes wide. Angel put her arm out and they ran to her, settled on her lap, along with Julia-Rose.
Luke patted her back. “Don’t cry, Angel, Julia-Rose’s here.”
She cried harder, and hugged them all to her chest, smothering their soft hair with kisses.
She had the three children cleaned, and ready to go, when a buggy stopped out front. A quick glance at the window assured her it was Nate, so she hustled them all out the door. She still didn’t understand why Nate felt it was necessary to drive her to the doctor. Even though it was a bit of a walk, with the lovely weather, and the children at the neighbor’s house, walking by herself would have been pleasant.
Nate jumped from the buggy, took Julia-Rose out of her arms, and grasping Angel’s hand, led them all down the street to Mrs. Murphy’s house. The green and white clapboard house reminded Angel of the little doll house she’d discovered in the attic. Mrs. Murphy had planted beautiful rows of wildflowers along the front of the porch. Two wooden rocking chairs with green cushions sat on either side of the door. White lace curtains fluttered from the open windows.
I would love to make my house look like this.
Mrs. Murphy greeted them with a warm smile. She appeared to be much younger than Angel had expected, maybe only a few years her senior. She seemed happy to see the family.
She reached for Julia-Rose, her eyes bright. “Come here, sweet pea, I’m so happy to have you today.”
Nate put his arm around Angel’s shoulder. “This is my wife, Angel.”
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Hale.” Mrs. Murphy was diminutive. Tiny hands, feet and body. But her smile filled her face.
“Oh, you make me sound old. Call me Angel, please.”
“And you must call me Alice.” She kissed Julia-Rose on the head. “I love taking care of her.” She tickled the baby under her chin, who giggled, and then drooled on her dress. “It gives me practice.” She smiled and patted her belly.
There was nothing showing there, but since Angel assumed the woman meant she was expecting, she murmured, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. We’re very excited.” Alice stepped back so the boys could enter the house. “We’ll all be fine. I’ll see you later.”
Nate remained quiet on the ride to Dr. Penrose’s office. Angel sat back and enjoyed the sun and light breeze. As they approached the town, the bustle of businesses came into view. Storekeepers loaded packages and boxes into wagons. Women, with shopping bags over their arms and small children trailing behind them, hurried from store to store. It seemed so long ago that she rode on this very street in the stagecoach, scared to death. Now she felt quite comfortable in this small town.
Even though her ribs had still been wrapped, the whole family made it to church last Sunday, and she had been introduced to several people in the congregation. She really enjoyed the service, and Pastor Dunn was warmly welcoming. Although he’d married them, she’d been so tired and sick at the time, she hadn’t really noticed what a pleasant man he was. Mrs. Dunn stood alongside him when they left the church, and also greeted her kindly.
Her attention returned to Nate as he stopped the buggy in front of a small house.
“This is Dr. Penrose’s home and office.” He swung down and helped Angel out. “Many times I made a late night race here when one of the kids was sick.” He chuckled. “The doc’s wife is always welcoming. No matter what time of the day or night.”
After helping her down, they took the few steps to the porch. Apparently Mrs. Penrose had seen them arrive, because she already had the door open when they reached the top of the stairs.
“Nate, is this your new wife?” The older woman beamed at them.
“Yes, Mrs. Penrose. This is my wife, Angel.”
“I’m so pleased to meet you, dear.” She gave Angel a hug, and then held her at arm’s length. “You must make time to come for tea one day.”
“That would be nice, but the children . . .”
Mrs. Penrose waved her hand. “No matter, bring the little ones with you. I have seven grandchildren I never see. I’m dying to bake cookies for someone besides the doctor and me.” She pointed to her round stomach. “We certainly don’t need them.” Her laugh was melodious, and Angel liked her immediately.
Dr. Penrose stood as they entered his office, rubbing his spectacles with a handkerchief. Stacks of books and papers filled the room. Angel glanced at the two chairs, also loaded down. It would be a challenge to find anything here.
“Come on in to my examining room.” He motioned to the doorway behind his desk. “How have you been feeling?”
Angel and Nate followed him into a small room with an examining table, and jars and bottles lining the walls. A stack of clean cloths sat on a counter, along with a container of bandages. The room was much more orderly than the office, making her wonder if his wife took care of this part of the office.
“I feel a lot better, thank you. I’m still a little sore when I move too suddenly, but otherwise I’m okay.”
“You haven’t been doing too much, have you?” The doctor studied her as he unwrapped her bindings. No stripping down this time, though. He opened her dress, and reached around to complete the task.
“No, the boys have been helping a lot.” Angel re-buttoned her bodice as the doctor laid the wrappings aside.
The doctor poked and prodded, glancing over the top of his spectacles at Angel’s reactions. “Well, Mrs. Hale, I declare you fit. Just continue to take it a little easy for a while, but otherwise, you can resume normal activities.”
They said their goodbyes to Mrs. Penrose, with Angel promising to bring the children for a visit. A short time later they were back in the buggy. Arms bent at the elbows, Angel swung from side to side, relishing the freedom with no bindings. Heat rose in her cheeks when Nate’s eyes shifted to her breasts, loose for the first time in over a week.
She grabbed the bench with one hand, and her hat with the other as he slapped the horse, and the buggy sped up. Her husband’s lips were set in a grim line, and sweat beaded his forehead.
Well, I wonder what I did wrong this time?
Nate parked the buggy in front of the hotel, and they entered the dining room. With Nate’s hand pressed firmly to her lower back, he steered her past several people he acknowledged, stopping every once in a while to introduce her. Each time she met someone new, she felt more welcome.
The smell from roast beef, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and biscuits on most diners’ plates made her stomach growl. It was so good to eat a meal she hadn’t struggled over. She’d never appreciated all the years everything had been done for her. Still, she experienced a certain amount of satisfaction in doing things for herself. She grinned.
And her family.
Less than an hour later, the only thing keeping her from enjoying her dessert of dried apple pie and coffee, was the way Nate kept drumming his fingers on the table. He seemed terribly jumpy.
“Everything all right?” Angel asked, her hand coverin
g the strong fingers that tapped relentlessly on the table.
“Just fine.” He flashed a quick smile, and taking a final gulp of his coffee, slid his chair back. “Are you ready?”
Angel nodded as she wiped her mouth with the napkin. Before she could place it on the table, he jumped up, pulled her chair out so fast he almost dumped her on the floor. As they left the dining room, Nate put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the front desk in the hotel area.
A small, dark haired man stood behind the desk, leaning over a spread-out newspaper. He glanced up as they approached. “Hey, Nate, long time no see. How’s the family?”
“Great.” He barely got the word out before he continued. “Ernest, my wife is feeling poorly. Headache, you know. I wonder if we could have a room for a couple hours so she can rest away from the noise of the children?”
Her head whipped around as she turned in surprise to listen to Nate tell this bold-faced lie. What was he up to?
The man smiled and extended his hand. “I heard you got married. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Nate nodded. “The key?”
“Oh, sure thing, Nate. I imagine things are a little noisy out at your place. We usually have an open room in the afternoon.” He nodded at them both. “Room twelve,” he added as he handed them a key, and went back to his reading.
Nate brought his finger to his lips when she started to ask a question, and hurried her upstairs to room twelve. He unlocked the door, hustled her through, and turned the lock.
“What in heaven’s name was that all about?”
He turned her and cupped her face in his hands, and leaned down to cover her mouth with his. After a few moments, he pulled away, and removed her hat. “Lord, woman, I had to get you away from that house before another interruption.”
Angel’s body flushed when she realized what he meant. Her heart sped up as she put her arms around his waist and leaned into him. Feeling her response, he kissed her once more, tilting her head. He ran his tongue over her closed lips, and she opened. He forged ahead, touching, tasting. Shyly, she parried with him, using her tongue as he had. He groaned, and moved his hand to cup her breast, kneading the flesh, sending jolts to her middle.
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