“Why would that put me out?” Julie wondered, taking the cup of coffee from Forrest with a murmur of thanks.
“Oh, Julie Anne.” Rosemary gave her a knowing smile. “Your William was surely missed this morning.”
Julie’s hands froze where she had been raising the cup to her lips. “Please, call me Mrs. Wickes-Barnes. I haven’t been called Julie Anne since I was a girl,” she said, fixing Rosemary with a frosty look that bordered on a glare.
Forrest's eyes shot to Will's, but the other man didn't react to the change in their wife's tone. Forrest, on the other hand, did his best to edge out from in between the women, his perch on the desk no longer deemed suitable or safe.
“Of course.” Rosemary had enough grace to blush at Julie’s response.
“As for missing my husband, well, I understand that my husband has duties to perform.” She looked at him then, seeing that he regarded her with the same cool and guarded look that he had used on her the previous day. “Honeymoon or not.”
“I just couldn’t help myself, you see.” Rosemary grinned, already brushing past Julie’s earlier rebuff. “I saw poor William sitting here with a breakfast of dry toast and barely tolerable coffee, and I had to act!”
Julie swallowed past the lump in her throat and inclined her head in thanks. “And I thank you for seeing to my husband’s comfort.”
“What kind of woman would I be if I hadn’t?” Rosemary wondered aloud with a little titter of laughter.
Julie dropped her eyes to the depths of her coffee cup and took a hasty sip to avoid telling Rosemary what kind of woman Julie thought her to be. The slight against her was unmistakable, and it set Julie’s teeth to grinding, but she smiled prettily enough at the other woman, with barely a twitch of her fingers to betray her anger.
“What are you doing today?” Will said suddenly. His voice was a merciful distraction to Julie in the tension-filled room, which she longed to kick Rosemary out of.
If only this were one of her well-worn paperbacks. A sensible course of action would be so clear to her against the woman encroaching on her place at Will's side. But alas, this was not the stuff of pen and fantasy, but real life, and real life did not always allow for the handy dispatching of forward women.
“Shopping,” Forrest answered, leaning against the desk.
Rosemary made another one of her little disbelieving sounds. “New Yorkers simply must shop, even on the frontier, hmm?” she purred to Will, as if the pair of them were sharing an inside joke at Julie’s expense.
Julie’s cheeks flamed from embarrassment, and she looked down at the paper in front of her as if it were the most important thing in her world. Discovering her husband gone and having breakfast with another woman was one thing, but she would not be the butt of a joke.
The quicker she finished composing her message, the quicker she could escape Rosemary’s presence without saying or doing something she would regret immensely. Hastily, she began to scribble out a simple note addressing her safety and promising to write them all.
“Make sure to take her by the carpenter. I went in last week and had them work up a few designs she might like,” Will told Forrest, ignoring Rosemary’s cutting remark. Julie’s eyes darted up to him to see that he had leaned back in his chair, his eyes on her though he spoke to Forrest.
“Designs?” Julie asked raising a questioning eyebrow.
Will nodded, crossing his arms. “Cradles.”
Rosemary’s fork hit her plate in an undignified clatter. “What?”
Julie didn’t have time to think of the other woman’s shock as she dealt with her own. She nearly spit out the sip of coffee she had just taken. Forrest took her coffee cup from her hand while she coughed in the most undignified manner possible.
“What?” she asked in an echo of Rosemary’s question.
“Stark’s good with his hands but even he needs time to make us something special,” Will replied, looking between the women with barely a reaction. “He’s booked out for months and won’t be able to start on it for a while yet, but deciding on a design is a good idea.”
“It’s already on our list of places to go,” Forrest said, sipping his own coffee. “Made sure Stark had a couple rockers ready for you to choose from.”
“I—ah, I...” Julie swallowed thickly. Now she only had eyes for her husbands who were regarding her with interest. “Of course,” she finally said.
“Expect we’ll have a whole new house by the time we’re done with today.” Forrest smiled at the others in the room before he pointed at the message she had somehow managed to finish. “Should I send that?”
“Of course, thank you.” Julie held the paper out to Forrest, still in shock from Will’s statement.
From how quiet Rosemary had grown, it was safe to say that she wasn’t the only one who needed a moment to come to terms with Will’s cradles.
The blonde woman dabbed at her lips with her napkin before she stood up in a rustle of skirts. “I should be off. I’m needed at the newspaper for a meeting.”
Will nodded at her, standing to see her to the door. “Thank you for breakfast, Rosemary.”
“Certainly, William. I look forward to our next.” The woman put her hand on his arm before she turned to Julie, who had pinned her with an unwavering gaze. “Have fun with shopping,” Rosemary said to her.
“I will. Good to see you again so soon,” Julie lied through her teeth with a fake smile. Thankfully, the other woman only lingered for another moment before she left, and Julie let the smile slip from her face.
Julie relaxed once the door closed. She was glad the other woman was gone. There was something about her and the way she looked at Will that Julie didn’t trust. She glanced at Will to see him regarding her from the door. Looking away from him, she cleared her throat and sipped at the coffee Forrest had brought her.
“There, message all sent.” Forrest smiled at her. “Where would you like to go first?”
“The carpenters would be nice.” Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she wanted to see the designs he had put together for her consideration.
Forrest stood with a nod. “Good choice. We can have a nice tour since it’s on the other side of town.”
“That sounds lovely.” Julie beamed at Forrest.
Even with her back turned, the weight of Will’s gaze had her feeling uneasy, and she shifted on her feet with a little sigh. “Is there something I should know?” she ventured.
Will raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
Julie shrugged, slipping her gloves back on. “It just...seemed like you had something you wanted to say?”
“No, nothing I’ve got to say.” He turned then, grabbing his jacket from the hook beside the door. “I should be going. I promised I’d swing by the Chapman homestead and check on things while Clint is on the road.”
“We’ll see you at dinner then, I expect?” Forrest asked.
“Might come in late.”
Will shrugged his jacket on, turning his eyes to Julie. “Anything you want me to bring back with me?”
She shook her head. “Just you.”
“Good choice.” Forrest came to stand beside her with a smile. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at Will. “Heard the road out that way washed out, so don’t do anything stupid.”
Will tipped his hat but said nothing and opened the door with a yank. He paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at Julie.
“Get anything you like today. Don’t listen to any of them if they make a fuss, and if someone doesn’t help you, tell Forrest. Understand?”
Julie bit her lip but gave a quick nod. “Yes.”
“Good.” Then Will was out the door and on his way before she could get in another word. Julie was still staring after Will when Forrest stepped in close to her and offered his arm. The transition between the men was seamless. They were flawless in their ability to switch places in Julie’s world.
It was uncanny, really, her husbands' balanc
e of dark and light, of sweet and...well, what was slightly sweet but not entirely enjoyable? Bittersweet?
And how did Rosemary manage to pull more sweet out of her husband than she?
Perhaps because you’ve known him for all of a day, a voice whispered to her. Julie bit back a frown. Yes, that. How could she forget it?
“If we don’t get to Stark’s within the hour we’ll have a wait ahead of us to see him,” Forrest said, pulling her away from her spontaneous brooding.
It wouldn’t do to wallow in a sour mood over her bittersweet marital status. Julie took Forrest’s arm. She had a house to outfit and comforts to bring to her husbands, and that was precisely what she aimed to do
* * *
The afternoon passed in a whirlwind of new acquaintances and purchases. Before long, Julie was delighted that she could find her way around with relative ease, and she could even locate the small but finely appointed and well maintained white clapboard school. She had met several of her soon-to-be students and their families. Each one was excited to have her for a teacher, and she found that she was quite eager for the next week, when she would begin.
Julie and Forrest had managed to make the necessary arrangements, so now a cherry dining table and matching eight-chair set sat in the formal dining room. A plush settee, a pair of end tables with matching lamps, and a trio of rocking chairs from Stark’s Carpentry now occupied the space in front of the parlor’s fireplace.
There were also plans for the working of a beautiful cradle made from mahogany.
She grinned, thinking of the lively carpenter who had seemed to get on Forrest’s last nerve, and relished that he could do so. The moment she had set foot in Stark’s workspace the man had made it his personal mission to compliment her at every turn and give her as many flirty smiles as possible. Julie had laughed it all off, sensing the man wasn't serious, but Forrest had seemed ready to put him through his workbench.
After their visit to the carpenter, whom Julie promised to visit frequently, much to Forrest’s frustration, they had stopped by the mercantile to put in an order for new linens, curtains, and an assortment of household items.
The woman at the front counter had been over the moon at their business. “This is the largest order of the year! Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Wickes-Barnes.” Julie had smiled and added on a few more luxuries like bath salts and a pound of honey candies at that.
Another visit to the bank to set up Julie’s personal bank account and a later stop to the grocer for dinner that night had all but exhausted her. At least, until Julie happened by the bookstore. The mere thought of all those gloriously bound books, their pages rich with beautifully composed stories, caused her to hesitate by the storefront for a moment before she moved to continue on, but her observant husband had allowed no such thing.
“You love novels. And we,” he had said with a grin as he began to usher her toward the shop door, “are going to buy every last thing that catches your interest.”
It had taken little more convincing, and he marched her inside with strict orders that she purchase whatever she liked. Julie had to give credit to her husband, who hadn’t so much as faltered in his patience beside her while she piled his arms with books and dragged him through the shop.
It had been a marvelous ending to her first proper day in Gold Sky.
Now she stood in the middle of the kitchen, a newly purchased apron made from a pretty pattern and sturdy fabric tied around her waist. Julie took a step closer to the counter and considered the chicken she was supposed to prepare for dinner that night. Potatoes boiled away on the stove, she had what she hoped would be edible enough cornbread in the oven, and now the last culinary challenge that remained to her was the chicken.
It was a daunting task considering she wasn’t completely certain what to do with it. Why hadn’t she paid closer attention when she’d been sent to learn on Saturday mornings with their kindly cook?
“Need help?” Forrest asked. He had been watching her stare at the chicken for some time now, and now he moved to push away from the doorway he had been leaning against to enter the kitchen.
Julie tilted her chin up in defiance.
“No, I can manage it.” She sidled toward The Lady’s Cooking Compendium, one of her many new hardback purchases made that afternoon, and tried to peek at the book’s section on poultry.
Forrest laughed, but when Julie arched an eyebrow he held up his hands. “I’m sure you’re going to make a delicious chicken.”
She flipped through the book with a sigh. “If I can find the right page.”
“Oh, just throw it in the oven.”
“It’s not that easy, Forrest,” she said now that she had found the right page.
Forrest hitched a hip against the counter and leaned close to the page. “Then what does The Lady’s Cooking Compendium have to say on the matter? And how can I be of help?”
“Garlic cloves and lemon. Lots of lemon.” Julie grinned, watching him spring into action.
It was nice making dinner with Forrest. She wasn’t used to thinking of him as her husband, but she was trying to, and Forrest seemed determined to help her along with his light touches, stolen kisses, and sweet smiles. The couple continued to prepare the chicken, which before long took its place in the oven next to the cornbread.
Once they were done, she leaned against the counter and returned his warm smile with a shy one of her own. As much as she enjoyed her time with Forrest, there was a matter that hadn’t left her thoughts, not even through all the excitement of the day.
In fact, it had seemed to loom larger over her, especially when her movements in town took her past the newspaper office where she had seen Rosemary through the window.
“Forrest?”
He looked up from where he washed his hands in the sink. “What is it, little bird?”
“Do they have breakfast often?”
Forrest lowered his eyes to his hands with a frown. There was no need then to clarify who ‘they’ was. He understood her, which she found provided both a measure of relief and of distress.
“Sometimes. He’s got a soft spot for her. Not sure why.”
Julie froze, her hands tightening in the folds of her new apron. “Rosemary?”
“She’s got a way with him.”
“But not with you,” Julie observed, taking in the pinched expression on Forrest’s handsome face.
“Rosemary’s always been...forward. Very transparent in what she wants,” he said after a second of deliberation. “But don’t pay her any mind.”
Julie crossed her arms over her chest. “You expect me not to worry about a woman that’s so forward? A woman who was having breakfast with my husband just this morning? Unchaperoned, at that!”
He wiped his hands and came to stand beside her. “You’re jealous, little bird, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low and gentle and full of understanding.
Julie blew out an annoyed breath and yanked her apron off with a snap of her hands. She hated that she was so easy for Forrest to read. How infuriating it was when she wasn't even able to tell the men apart in their writings to her!
“I’m not jealous,” she insisted.
“There’s no reason to care what Rosemary Stanton does or says, or how many breakfasts she brings Will. Do you hear me?” Forrest tipped her chin up to look down at her. “You’re our wife, and that’s that.”
“Is it?” Julie whispered, wondering why she let Rosemary get under her skin like this. If it had been only catty or disparaging remarks from the other woman, it would be a situation Julie understood. One she was a master at. She was no stranger to churlish behavior from her time as a debutante in New York’s social scene, but the blonde’s obvious interest in Will made her feel unnerved and defensive.
“I’m not even sure what I know about either of you,” she said, voice tight as she referenced the morning revelation regarding their letters. “Will knows far more about Rosemary than he does me. How can our letters be e
nough?”
Forrest shook his head, his summer sky blue eyes clouded in confusion. “We promised in front of God and this entire town that we would never forsake you. Not for anyone. Not ever," he said, as if it were that simple.
But if there was anything Julie had learned as an avid reader, there was nothing simple when it came to matters of the heart. An uttered promise in front of a chapel full of strangers wouldn't mean much if Will realized Rosemary was the woman he preferred as a wife. Julie looked away at that thought; she couldn't meet Forrest’s earnest gaze.
“Will seems to like her very much.”
“They’re friendly, is all.”
“He isn’t friendly with me.”
“That’s not true.” Forrest sighed. He touched her face with gentle fingers. “He’s head-over-heels for you. Already.”
She shook her head. “He barely looked at me today.”
“That’s just his way. He cares for you, Julie.”
“If he’s so ‘friendly’ with Rosemary, then why didn’t you both just marry her?” Julie wondered aloud, giving voice to the thought that had sprung to mind when she had seen Will laughing with the other woman. There didn't seem to be a shortage of warmth or smiles.
How was it that she wasn’t able to elicit that type of response from her own husband?
“Like I said, he’s friendly with her. I’m not. We don’t suit," Forrest replied, looking uncomfortable. The confirmation that Rosemary had been in the running as a wife for the men hurt more than Julie realized it would. She closed her eyes briefly as she mulled over the new piece of information. Rosemary’s behavior toward Will, and herself, suddenly made more sense in light of it.
How had they approached the topic with the woman? How had they handled the fallout after not selecting her? How much longer would Rosemary's evident affection for Will persist?
“What are you thinking, little bird?" Forrest’s question made Julie open her eyes, and she frantically tried to order the chaotic mess of thoughts swirling in her mind. After a moment she finally spoke.
Heart and Hand: Gold Sky Series Page 9