His lips kissing the corners of her mouth sending butterflies stirring in her tummy. His hands gently cupped her face, and his body moved closer to hers. As close as a lover would be.
Her arms went around him and she accepted his nearness. Her heart burst with love. Love for a man who accepted her for who she was. A man who cared for her.
And she for him.
“Now, let me get you home before I do something my father would whip me for.” Auggie released her and a shiver ran over her.
“Okay,” was all she could say. The last thing she expected was to feel alive again. Alive in a way she hadn’t felt for months.
As they approached her house porch, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead.
She felt him dislodge her hand from his arm. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Monday morning,” she answered slowly walking up the steps and into her house where she sunk against the door.
Could Auggie Raines be in love with her? Really in love with her?
And was she in love with him?
Panic streaked through her. She flung open the door and ran down to the church. She stood for a moment gazing up at the cross above the door then walked quickly up the steps and through the door.
Sitting in the first pew, she bowed her head and folded her hands.
Dear Merciful Lord, I know that I haven’t been Your obedient daughter for many months. I know that I blamed You for taking my beloved Steven from me. But I now realize that You always have a plan, and that Steven’s time of Earth was done. That You needed him. Please Lord, forgive my doubts and my fears. And help the other widows who are lost to find their way back to You. I trust in You, oh Lord, to lead me on the path You have chosen. In God’s name, Amen.
Tears came to her eyes and Elizabeth felt a calmness she hadn’t experienced since the mining accident.
EPILOGUE
Monday Morning
Auggie worked all weekend to be sure the new addition was exactly as he had envisioned it. With the help of Mary and Willa, he’d found the perfect place for the sewing machine, cutting table, and other notions Elizabeth would need.
Now if only this wouldn’t blow up in his face, his world would be right just as it had been since Elizabeth first walked into his office looking for a job as a seamstress.
“Stewart be sure Mrs. Hamilton comes straight into my office the moment she arrives,” he said and then sat behind his desk nervous as all get out.
He’d never proposed to a woman before. Never thought he would. But then Elizabeth walked into his office and from that moment on he knew his life would never be the same.
Would she accept him?
He was willing to take that chance for love. Her love.
Knock, knock.
“Morning Auggie.” Elizabeth stood in the doorway, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. “Stewart said you wanted to see me right away.”
Struggling to control his urges to jump up and take her in his arms, he cleared his throat.
“Yes, the smoking lounge is complete.” He swallowed hard as his heart hammered against his ribs. “I thought you’d like to see it before you got started this morning.”
“I’d would like that very much.” Elizabeth smiled at him, excitement in her eyes.
“Then let’s go,” he came around the desk, slipping his hand into hers. “Don’t’ worry, it’s still early and Stewart already suspects.”
“All right,” she answered.
When they reached the door to the new addition, he paused for a moment taking both her hands in his.
“I’m going to ask you to close your eyes and trust me. Can you do that?”
“Of course, I can. I trust you with my life, Auggie.”
As she heard the door open, Elizabeth held her breath resisting the urge to peek.
“Okay, you can look now.” Auggie announced.
“What?” Elizabeth gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “Auggie!”
“Welcome to your dress shop, Elizabeth. Now before you say anything hear me out. The Grand will only receive a commission of the sales for a short time until you are on your feet. Then all proceeds will be yours and yours alone.”
“Oh Auggie!” She whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks. “You did all of this for me?
“Yes, because you deserve it.”
Elizabeth walked around the room her hand running along the edge of the cutting table. “Is there a sewing machine?”
“That’s the best part.” Auggie beamed with pride. “That door right there used to be the window to the sewing room. Now it is part of the dress shop.”
Elizabeth walked through the door. There she found set up in front of the north picture window, standing next to a dress form, a Singer sewing machine complete with cabinet stood.
She turned to Auggie, taking his hands in hers. “Thank you for the generous offer. But before I accept I want to get something straight.”
“I thought you might.”
“You must give me a business loan.” She said, biting her lower lip. Would he agree to take a chance on her even though she didn’t have a business background? “Or at the very least an investment loan and partnership.”
“On one condition.” Auggie said.
“What?” Elizabeth asked afraid of what he wanted. She didn’t have a business plan. Nor did she have any start-up funds. All she had was her desire and determination.
“That you consider marrying me.” Auggie blurted out. “I love you, Elizabeth.”
“I think I love you also. I might consider your proposal if you asked me properly,” Elizabeth said. “And only after the dress shop is paying for itself.”
“Elizabeth Hamilton, I wouldn’t have it any other way” Auggie said, bending down on one knee, taking her hands in his. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, and business partner?”
“Yes!” Elizabeth said tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks as Auggie slipped an engagement ring on her finger.
THE END
Thank you for reading Widows of Blessings Valley: Elizabeth. I hope you will come along with Vera Baldwin on the path of her grief after losing her husband Thomas in the mining accident of 1892, and how she handles the unexpected visit from her brother-in-law, Wallace Baldwin.
Widows of Blessings Valley: Vera will be coming out in the Fall of 2019.
BONUS EXCERPT
WIDOWS OF BLESSINGS VALLEY: VERA
Recently widowed, laundress Vera Baldwin is pregnant and terrified at being alone.
Assigned to investigate the mining accident that killed several men in Blessings Valley, undercover agent, Jack Daniels is torn between duty and family when he learns Vera Baldwin is carrying his estranged brother’s child.
Can two strangers with a broken heart find love for the sake of an unborn child?
CHAPTER 1
Late Summer 1892
As she did every day before going to the laundry, Vera Baldwin stood over the grave of her late husband, Thomas. Tenderly smoothing her hand over her swelling belly, she fought the tears threatening to fall. They came less and less, but on days like today, it was hard to fight them off.
“Soon Thomas everyone will know the precious gift you left behind. I want to keep it my secret for as long as I can,” she said wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. “It is a comfort to know that I’ll always have a piece of you to hold and love every day of my life.
“Thank you, my love.” Kneeling, she placed a kiss on the marker with her hand. “I will love you always.”
Standing, Vera blew one more kiss at her deceased husband’s grave then turned and began walking toward Blessings Valley. Back to Nana’s Laundry that was now her life as a laundress. It wasn’t how she’d imagined it would be when she and Thomas had married only two years earlier.
Thomas, three years her senior, rode onto her father’s ranch one winter day looking for work. After only a few months as a ranch hand, Vera knew her heart would
belong to Thomas. And he felt the same way. So much so that he asked her to marry him after getting her father’s reluctant permission.
So, on her twentieth birthday, as they stood on the front porch in front of her family and the local preacher, she became Mrs. Thomas Baldwin. Two years later they set out for the Oklahoma Territory and settled in Blessings Valley six months ago. In the space of only a few years, Vera had turned from a rancher’s daughter into a miner’s wife.
Now she was a widow on her own. But she had more than herself to care for. There was a baby on the way and before long she wouldn’t be able to hide her secret under her clothes.
Maybe I could ask Elizabeth Hamilton to alter a few of my dresses. She’d keep my secret if I asked her, wouldn’t she? At least until the time came when Vera felt like she wanted to share it with everyone. If she could hide away until the baby came, she would.
“Morning,” Vera called out walking through the back door to Nana’s.
“Morning, Vera,” Mollie answered, placing a folded sheet into a basket marked for the boardinghouse. “This is ready to go back to the boardinghouse. Do you think you can manage?”
“Yes,” Vera answered, laughing nervously. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, a woman in your condition,” Mollie smiled winking at Vera.
“My condition?” Vera stammered, her heart skipping a beat. “Just because I’m a widow doesn’t mean I can’t carry a laundry basket anymore.”
“Anything you say,” Mollie laughed. “In the meantime, please take this over to the boardinghouse and pick up what Willa has that needs to be laundered.”
Vera nodded, gathering the wicker basket in her arms then headed out the door and across the street. Does Mollie suspect? How could she when I’ve been so careful not to draw attention to myself?
Reaching the boardinghouse, she went back door where she knew Willa would in the kitchen this time of morning preparing breakfast. As she rounded the corner, her stomach revolted slightly as the rich smell of coffee assaulted her senses. Pausing for a moment, she sucked in a breath until her tummy settled down and the nausea passed.
When will this sickness stop, she wondered, breathing deeply and slowly.
Feeling more settled, Vera knocked on the door once then pushed in. “Morning Willa,” she said. Just as she’d suspected, Willa stood over the stove and the smell of coffee assaulted her once again sending her tummy into a tailspin.
“Goodness child, sit down,” Willa hurried over to her, grabbing Vera’s arm as she sunk into a chair. “Are you feeling all right? Should I call for the doctor?”
Taking a deep breath, Vera exhaled slowly. She repeated the process until she felt grounded once again.
“I’ve been working long hours and haven’t been eating as I should.” Vera looked at the concerned look at Willa’s face. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”
“Let me get you some coffee,” Willa offered, turning back to the stove.
“No!” Vera all but shouted, then said softly, “Just a glass of water or a cup of tea will do the trick.”
Willa brought the teapot and a cup to the table, setting it down in front of Vera. “Are you sure I shouldn’t get the doctor?”
“I’m fine, really. It will pass soon.” Vera poured tea into her cup, then sipped it slowly. The churning in her tummy settled and she felt certain the everyday occurrence had passed.
When she looked up, she found Willa gazing at her with a knowing look in her eye. She felt sick all over again. If Willa figured out she was with child, that meant that others would soon enough as well.
“I’ll keep your secret, Vera.” Willa smiled, patting Vera’s shoulder. “When you are ready then you can tell the world. In the meanwhile, if you need something, anything, you come to me.”
“Thank you, Willa,” Vera smiled, pushing over the basket of linens. “Do you have anything to go over to Nana’s this morning?”
“No, but I will in the morning. I’ve got a room to prepare today for an arrival.” Willa picked up the basket setting it on the kitchen counter.
“Then I’ll see you in the morning,” Vera said, smiling as she walked out the kitchen door.
“Vera!” Willa called out from the porch of the boardinghouse as Vera rounded the corner. “You forgot your basket.”
“Oh goodness, thank you, Willa,” Vera said, her cheeks blushing. Taking the basket in her arms she turned back toward Nana’s Laundry.
“That girl is going to need someone to look after her and the baby,” Willa whispered watching Vera as she waddled slightly across the street. “The question is who?”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” a man sat on a coal black horse in front of Willa. “Could you tell me where the livery is?”
Willa accessed the young man with shoulder length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes peeking out from under the well-worn hat. He looked a bit weary and his face was smudged with trail dust. “The livery is down the street and then to your right,” she said pointing down the street.
“Thank you, ma’am,” the man tipped his hat then rode away.
Willa watched for a moment then walked back into her boardinghouse. She had a room to prepare for a guest. Other than his name, she only knew that he’d be arriving but not when or for how long. She normally didn’t take reservations, but since this request came via telegram she’d hold the room until she needed it. Right now, that wasn’t the case since she had plenty of rooms available.
Grabbing the clean linens, Willa went up the steps to the front room. Stepping aside, she quickly looked it over then pulled the sheets off the feather bed to replace them with the fresh ones. Finished, she swept over the top of a dresser and dressing table with a feather duster.
Satisfied the room was now presentable, Willa went back downstairs to find a young man in her parlor. On the floor next to him were a saddle bag and a small satchel.
“Can I help you?” she asked. She immediately recognized him as the stranger who’d asked for directions to the livery.
“I hope so,” he said smiling, his dusty hat in his hand. “I’m looking for the proprietor of this boardinghouse.”
“And you are?” Willa asked, tempted to take a few steps toward the door in case she needed to run. In a mining town, one never knew what unsavory men wandered in and out. But there was something in this young man’s blue eyes that made her feel at ease. And the sense of familiarity scratched in the back of her mind.
“Jack Daniels,” Jack announced. “I believe I have a reservation.”
Wallace Baldwin waited as the woman decided if she trusted him or not. He’d seen that look many times, especially when he arrived looking like a saddle tramp. And today he not only looked like one but smelled like he hadn’t bathed in weeks.
“Yes, I have a room ready for you Mr. Daniels. I’m Willa Alexander,” Willa informed offering her hand. “I’m the owner of the boardinghouse.”
Wallace Baldwin wrapped his hand around hers, surprised by the firmness of the older woman’s grip. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Alexander. Please call me Jack.”
“I’ve been wondering when you’d arrive, Jack. Everyone calls me Willa, you may do the same.” Willa smiled, then turned back to the stairs she’d just come down. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your room. Once you are settled, come back down for a late breakfast. You must be hungry.”
“Thank you, Willa,” Wallace said, following her up the stairs and to his room.
“Your timing is great, I just put fresh sheets on the bed, so you should be comfortable enough,” she said. “There’s fresh water in the pitcher for you to clean up with. From the looks of it, I’d say half of Oklahoma red dirt is on you.”
“You may be right,” Wallace laughed liking Willa almost immediately. “Thank you, Willa.”
“Come on down when you’re ready and put some food into that gut of yours,” Willa said.
Hearing the door click shut, Wallace glanced around the room, then stood looking out the window. It had a
perfect view of the street. He’d be able to watch the comings and goings of Blessings Valley without being detected.
When word had reached him that his older brother Thomas had died in a mining accident, his heart wept for all that they’d missed. He’d asked his superiors to be assigned to the investigation and been granted his request under the condition that he kept his personal feelings out of it. He agreed to arrive under the guise of Jack Daniels, to keep his mind on the mining accident, and then to return to Chicago with his report.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
As far as he knew, his brother didn’t have a family; at least none he claimed. That fact alone made this assignment much easier. The investigation would be less messy without his brother’s widow to contend with.
Unpacking his satchel, he undressed piling the trail dirty clothes on the floor. Once he freshened up a bit, Wallace put on a pair of clean pants, socks, and shirt. Slipping back into the dusty boots, he ran a comb through his damp hair.
“Let’s do this and get it over with,” he said, heading out of his room with his dirty laundry under his arm.
CHAPTER 2
Willa puttered in the kitchen patiently waiting for her newest boarder, one Jack Daniels, to come down for a late breakfast. And who in their right minds would name a boy after whiskey? A drunkard no doubt.
And why did he look familiar to her? Was it his eyes or something about his face? There’d been many drifters over the years who stayed at her establishment, could he have been with one of them? Or did he remind her of someone she knew in Blessings Valley? If so, who?
Before she could come up with any possibilities, the clop-clop of boots sounded on the floorboards above. Picking up the tray, she walked into the dining room just as Jack Daniels reached the bottom step.
“I trust you are pleased with your room?” she asked, eyeing the bundle of clothes under his arm as she placed the tray on the table.
Elizabeth (Widows of Blessings Valley Book 1) Page 18