Second Chance Suitor Page 9

  She sought his tongue with her own, and felt a warmth growing all throughout her body, as if Bill were filling her with his heat. She slid her hand up under his arm and buried her fingers in his hair, holding him to her as if there were some chance of him leaving too soon. There wasn’t. When he finally broke their kiss, she felt as weak as a rag doll in his arms.

  He rested his forehead against hers, and when he spoke she could feel his breath on her cheek. “The day we met, when I saw you all alone there in the street, I figured I was getting a second chance. But I’m not the only one,” he said. “We both got second chances, and I’m going to make the most of mine.”

  She could only nod at first, and when she finally found her voice, it was weak and quiet. “I know. I just…well, you did help us out. I’m not denying that.”

  He backed up slightly and looked at her closely. His gaze didn’t waver from her face, like he wanted to build a crystal-clear memory to accompany him on the trip. “You told me in your letter that your eyes were like ice,” he said. “But I know exactly what you were doing. I see right through you.”

  “What do you mean?” she whispered. In that moment, though, it felt exactly like that, as if she had been opened up for him to see.

  “They’re not like ice at all. You just say that so people will think you’re cold and hard,” he said. “But I look in your eyes and I see nothing but the clear blue of a morning sky. Like the promise of a brand new day.” Then, after another kiss that left her shaking and breathless, he climbed aboard the wagon, sharply snapped the reins, and was gone.

  Chapter 8

  The mercantile was not a big place, in spite of how it looked from the outside. The false front gave it the appearance of a larger building, though once Maddie had stepped inside the illusion died a quick death. The two aisles that ran the length of the store were barely wide enough for people to pass each other chest-to-chest, and the shelves were stuffed with every sort of thing one could imagine, with hardly a thought apparently given to how they were arranged. Sacks of beans sat on the floor next to a box of used horseshoes, which were in turn neighbors to bolts of fabric. A fur hat with enormous ear flaps was perched atop a pile of leather-bound books, and a bottle of Old Crow was cushioned on a sack of coffee beans. Actually, maybe things are arranged this way on purpose, Maddie thought. Right here, a man can grab his drink and the remedy all at the same time.

  “Apple, mama, apple,” Tess said, pointing to a basket lower down on the shelf.

  “Yes, I see them,” Maddie said. “Right next to the clothespins. Makes perfect sense.”

  Tess gave her a blank look and then slowly reached for an apple.

  Maddie laughed and ruffled her daughter’s hair. “It’s all right, you can have one,” she said. “Let’s go up front.” She shifted the box she was carrying to her other hip and took Tess by the hand, leading her up to the counter which ran along the back wall of the building. The man working behind the counter was up on a rickety ladder, arranging bottles of patent medicine on the shelves. He turned to look when he heard Maddie place the box on the counter.

  “You’re really going to buy all those eggs?” he asked, his eyes widening as he looked at the box.

  “Nope, we’re just buying one apple,” Maddie said. “The eggs are to sell. I’m Bill Parker’s wife.”

  “You’re Maddie Parker?” He hurried down the ladder, which creaked and swayed with every step. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Parker,” he said as he stepped to the floor and extended his hand. “I’m Abe Freund.”

  “Good to meet you,” Maddie said.

  “Bill mentioned that you’d be making deliveries while he was away,” Abe said. His smile was broad and warm, marred only by a gap where his left canine tooth should have been. “How are things going? No problems, I hope?”

  “None so far,” Maddie said. “The chickens pretty much take care of themselves.”

  “I’m happy to hear that,” he said. His grin only seemed to grow larger while he looked at her. “You know, I have to tell you, I’ve known Bill for a good long while, now,” he went on. “And I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “What do you mean? Is something wrong?”

  “Just the opposite. I’ve never seen a man so happy with his life.”

  “Really?”

  Abe laughed. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what a change came over him once you two got together.”

  “Maybe you should tell me,” she said. “I only met him the day we got married, after all.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” he murmured, and a thoughtful look entered his eyes. “Well, look at it this way. When he comes in with a delivery now, he’s practically dancing. Before you got married, he was kind of a serious fellow,” he said. “Not in a bad way, mind you; he was always in a good mood. But he was always real focused on his work. More so than other men.”

  “I can imagine,” Maddie said. “He’s put a lot of sweat into that farm.”

  “Yes, he has. But you know, I asked him about it one time and he told me something that stuck with me. He said that it wasn’t the farm he cared about. It wasn’t the work that was important to him. It was that he wanted to be able to support a family. That’s why he worked as hard as he did,” Abe said. “Looks like he got his wish.”

  “I guess he did,” Maddie murmured.

  Abe winked at Tess. “You ladies keep it up,” he said. “You must be doing something right out there. Anyway, I’m sorry to talk your ear off. It’s just that Bill’s a friend. He’s one hell of a guy.” He shot a glance at Tess again and winced. “Sorry. He’s a very good man, let me put it like that. You know, he helped me out a lot when I was just setting up shop.”

  “Is he the one who decided where everything should go?”

  Abe laughed. “No, that was all me,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “But if it hadn’t been for Bill I don’t think I would’ve lasted through my first year here. Anyway, I’m just real happy for him. Real happy for both of you, in fact.”

  “That’s nice of you to say,” Maddie said. “But I suppose we should get going. We still have a delivery for the café, and there are chickens to feed at home. How much do I owe you for the apple?”

  “Not a thing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “And regarding the eggs?”

  “I’ll mark the delivery down right now.”

  “You’ve been very kind, Mr. Freund.”

  “None of that, now,” he said. “My friends call me Abe. I’d be pleased if you did the same.”

  “In that case, you’ve been very kind, Abe,” Maddie said. She reached down to steer Tess toward the door. “Let’s go, honey.”

  “Wait one second,” Abe said, and he turned to the rear counter where a row of glass jars sat, each filled with a different kind of candy, from horehound drops to molasses brittle, sugar plums to butterscotch balls. He opened a drawer below the counter and removed a piece of paper, which he quickly rolled into a cone and then filled with gumdrops. “Here you go, sweetheart,” he said, as he leaned over the counter and held it out to Tess.

  Tess, who seemed to become less shy when sweets were involved, grabbed the cone with both hands and gave Abe a grin that he reflected. “You two need anything before Bill gets back, you come let me know. He’s coming home on Friday, is that right?”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “All right, then. Have a good day, now,” he said, waving as they turned to go, and starting back up the ladder.

  “Candy, mama,” Tess whispered as they squeezed past a heavyset man digging in a box of nails.

  “That was nice of him, huh?” Maddie was just reaching for the door when she felt a hand on her elbow. She turned her head, expecting to see Tess tugging at her sleeve. Instead, she saw only shiny leather shoes, an exquisitely tailored suit, and Lawrence Eastman’s face.

  She felt a rush of emotion filling her, shame and anger swirling around within as she remembered the way he had treated her on what was supposed to
be her wedding day. It was as if she were there in front of the town hall again, with his hand against her cheek, caressing her as a lover would, just before he humiliated her in front of his drunken friends. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out at all.

  “Madeline Harrison,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”

  She swallowed hard and found that she was again able to speak. “It’s Parker now. I’m married.”

  “Yes, I heard a little something about that,” he said. “Allow me to congratulate you.”

  Her laugh was bitter and sharp, and came out sounding more forced than she would have liked. “I don’t need congratulations from you,” she said. “Fortunately, I don’t need anything from you now.”

  He put on a hurt expression. “Now, Madeline, there’s no need for hard feelings—”

  “No need? Are you kidding me?” Her voice had suddenly become very loud.

  The ladder at the back of the store creaked as Abe turned halfway around. “Maddie, everything all right over there?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Eastman called, waving his hand in the air as if to clear away Abe’s concern.

  “I ain’t talking to you, mister,” Abe said. “Maddie, do you need some help?”

  “I’m fine, Abe. Thanks.” She turned to Eastman and took a deep breath, fighting to keep control of her voice. “You treated me like a common streetwalker. Worse, actually,” she said. “At least a streetwalker gets paid for her shame. I got nothing.”

  Eastman’s brow furrowed and he slowly shook his head. “I can tell you, I do regret my behavior that day. It was surely due to a few celebratory drinks I’d had earlier.”

  She snorted. “You’re not the first man to act like an ass and point the finger at a bottle,” she said. “And you won’t be the last, I’m sure. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have things to do.” She lifted her chin and straightened her back. Her eyes were full of fire, as if daring him to again try ducking the blame for his behavior.

  “Well, in any case, I do apologize,” he said, unable to match her gaze for more than a moment. “Your husband is a lucky man. Marriage…becomes you,” he said, as he gave her a long look. For a second she recognized longing in his eyes, and the indignation that filled her was interrupted by a flash of excitement. Regardless of anything else that had happened, she still had to admit that Eastman was a handsome man, and it was a momentary thrill to realize that he desired her.

  Well, good, she thought. Maybe he knows what he’s missing out on now. She took Tess by the hand without saying another word, stepped out into the street, and didn’t look back even once.

  ~

  It was a strange sensation to work a farm that, first of all, had birds instead of crops, and second, wasn’t constantly on the verge of bankruptcy. The solvency of the farm meant that they weren’t scraping by just to keep things going day-to-day; there was plenty of feed in the storage shed for the chickens, and plenty of food in the pantry for everybody else. Having birds instead of corn to care for, however, presented its own problems.

  In the days since Bill had departed, Maddie had taken over the daily chores, with a little help from Tess. Every day, there were eggs to collect. Henhouses to inspect. Fencing to check. And, of course, the feeding. The constant feeding. Tess still didn’t seem to mind, going around with her little cup of feed and sprinkling bits on the ground here and there, laughing as the chickens ran after every bouncing kernel. Maddie, however, was becoming a little testy at having to refill the feed so often.

  It was impressive how much feed the birds could put down; she hadn’t yet seen them leaving food in the pans, and she had to wonder how much they would eat if she were to leave a feed sack in the pen. Probably best not to test it, she thought. I don’t want to have to explain how we ended up with a bunch of burst chickens.

  Perhaps more than anything else, however, Bill’s absence made it clear that raising both a child and chickens—or corn, for that matter—was too much for one person. She was making lunch when she realized how tired she was. Tess had woken up at first light, which meant that Maddie had woken as well; after feeding her daughter, she’d fed her feathered stepchildren in each of the three pens. Then Tess had wanted a midmorning snack. Then Maddie had found a dead chicken in the north henhouse, so she’d had to dispose of the carcass. Then she had to haul water for the house, and she still hadn’t had time to get Tess changed out of her nightdress. It had been one thing after another, and there hadn’t even been any skunks to deal with yet. Bill had warned her that there’d be skunks.

  She fought back a yawn as she turned the eggs and sausages in the pan. And to think that exhaustion used to be normal. This was how I spent years of my life. I must have been out of my mind.

  “Eat, mama?”

  “It’s almost ready, honey. Go sit down.” Maddie lifted the edge of the eggs to make sure the yolks were set before she moved the pan from the fire and plated their lunch. The food wasn’t fancy, and they’d had the same thing for supper the day before, but she was too tired to be creative.

  Fortunately, Tess didn’t seem to notice that her mother was silent during the meal. She was apparently trying to tell her mother about her adventures in the pen that morning—Maddie caught the words chicken and pigeon over and over—and seemed quite content being the only one talking while they ate.

  It wasn’t until Tess was down for her nap and Maddie was alone with a cup of tea that she started to feel a bit more like herself. As it turned out, Assam tea was pretty fancy, just as Bill had said; it was rich and strong, bracing her for the afternoon chores.

  Maddie looked at the clock that stood in the corner of the kitchen. Almost one o’clock, she thought. Another five hours and we’ll be done for the day. Between caring for the chickens, the house, and Tess, she had been working from six until six or thereabouts, at which point it was almost too much to manage anything beyond fixing a simple dinner and then tumbling into bed.

  God, it’ll be good to have Bill home, she thought, and then immediately laughed out loud. It wasn’t just because of the chores, though of course she’d rather he took care of that; it was because against all odds she was feeling something for him. Well, how about that. I miss my husband. Things had changed so quickly that she had scarcely realized it until now. What she had begun as a marriage of convenience was turning into something more, something that went far beyond the limits she had imagined she could put on him. And on herself.

  There was no denying it. As she had lain in bed each night, Tess cuddled at her side, Maddie had thought about his kiss. Even now, she could nearly feel his lips against hers, his hands at her sides holding her tight. The thought warmed her more than the tea ever could.

  She looked at the clock again. He said he’d be home Friday evening. A day and a half to go. Still, it would be nice if he came back early. Like today, for instance. She had no idea what the travel to Omaha and back was like, but perhaps he’d be able to make better time than he’d expected. He’d show up with a present for Tess and maybe a little something for me, she thought, imagining the scene already. I’d be out feeding the chickens, or perhaps here making dinner, and I’d hear the wagon coming up over the hill…wait a minute.

  She cocked her head to the side. It was soft, but there was definitely a noise coming from outside. It sounded exactly like the thud of hooves on the earth, and the creak of wooden wheels rolling along.

  Good Lord, he’s really here, she thought, and her heart swelled with excitement. She got up and quickly took off her apron, tossing it over the chair back, and went to the stove, where a small pail of water sat. She looked at her reflection in the water and tucked some stray hair behind her ear, then quickly dipped one finger in the butter dish and moistened her lips. No time for anything else, she thought, and opened the door wide.

  Her breath failed her as she saw the carriage come to a rolling stop just outside, and the excitement turned to icy spurs within her. “You,” she said, though she felt bare
ly able to speak, she was so surprised. “What are you doing here?’

  Lawrence Eastman set the brake and grinned at her. He carefully removed the leather gloves he was wearing and set them on the seat, then hopped down from the carriage. “I wanted to see you again,” he said. “When we spoke at the market yesterday, I felt like there were some things that still needed to be said. Like we have unfinished business.”

  “I reckon we finished everything already.”

  “No, not quite,” he said. “Here’s the thing, Madeline. I want you to be my wife.”

  She couldn’t restrain a short, loud laugh. “Well, you could have picked a better time to say that,” she said. “Like when you came to meet me.”

  “My behavior that day was despicable, I agree,” he said. “But when I heard that store clerk going on about what a difference he saw in your husband, I got to thinking about things. Why should Bill Parker be the one to enjoy your favor when I was actually your first choice?”

  “Maybe because he married me when you left me to fend for myself?”

  “A momentary error, I assure you. Now that I’ve had time to consider things, and without the influence of those intoxicated fellows I ran into that day, I can say that it would be best for everybody if you were to marry me.”

  “Best for you,” she said. “For me and Bill, not so much.”

  “Oh, come now. Surely you can’t say that you’d prefer to stay out here with these…chickens,” he said, throwing a glance toward the pen as if it were filled with rubbish instead of birds. “A woman like you should be with a man like me. A man who can provide a life more suitable for you. More appropriate to a woman of your bearing. Better, in a nutshell.”