Page 16 of Earning Tia’s Trust

SIXTEEN

The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by. Robert was constantly busy with the ranch, the new house, and dealing with town matters. Rainer and Francine accepted invitations to visit on Saturday, and Rainer insisted on bringing Francine in his buggy.

One evening, while Robert took Rainer to the house site, Tia and Francine sat on the porch swing and discussed the search for a new teacher.

“I have two teachers coming by stagecoach this week,” Francine said. “I’ll be interviewing them for the job. Mrs. Hellnor is still being uncooperative. If I share an opinion with the board, she is usually the one who disagrees. So far, she’s been voted down.”

“She hasn’t changed,” Tia said. “When I was in school, if our teacher was sick, she would take over the classes. She was a horrible teacher.

“Several board members have told me I can dismiss her. My vote counts now, so as long as the votes are six yes and one no, she hasn’t got in my way of making changes I’ve wanted to make for years. Enough about my new position. How are you getting along with Robert?”

“We’re getting along very nicely,” Tia admitted. “I resented him at first for taking over so much of my life, but now I know it’s because he’s trying to protect me.

“I knew Hayward didn’t treat me fairly, but he was all I had, except Hank. As horrible as it sounds, I’m glad Sammy doesn’t have to try to live up to Hayward’s expectations. He was never satisfied with our efforts. Now, I’m filling the roles of wife, big sister, and mother. I still keep an eye on the ranch. It’s running smoothly under the direction of Robert and Hank. For the first time in my life, I’m being treated like a lady and an equal.”

“Have you had time to write?” Francine asked.

“Actually, I have,” Tia said with a smile. “I know it’s silly, but I enjoy writing my stories.”

“It’s not silly, and I want to read what you’ve written,” Francine said. “It’s been a while since you’ve given me a story.”

“I’ve changed in the last couple of months,” Tia admitted. “I feel like a different person sometimes. Maybe I am a different person.”

“Do you like the new you?” Francine asked.

Tia was silent for a few seconds before she nodded and smiled. “I’m getting used to her.”

“I like her,” Francine said.

“What about you?” Tia asked. “Rainer seems interested.”

“He’s my employer,” Francine said, blushing. “He isn’t interested in me that way. I’m twenty-four and a spinster.”

“You are not a spinster. And Rainer looks at you like a man looks at a woman when he’s interested. You’ve spent too much time being a teacher and a caretaker for your mother. I know you love her, but don’t let her stop you from having a husband and family of your own!

“Part of my... well, I don’t know what to call it... but part of my growing up has let me understand what I didn’t before. You’re my friend, and you’re beautiful and smart. Don’t let others make you doubt yourself. And, by the way, Rainer isn’t a spring chicken himself! He, Robert, and William were the youngest students in the college they attended.”

“I’m going to throw your words back at you,” Francine said. “I want you to turn over the stories you’ve written lately and let me read and edit them. I believe in your writing abilities.”

“All right,” Tia agreed. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll give you my stories to read, but when Rainer asks to court you, you have to say yes.”

Francine took a deep breath. “Do you really think he’s interested in me that way?”

“Yes, and Robert does too! We’ve talked about it,” Tia whispered as she saw the men crossing the front lawn. “You’re the only one who can’t see it, and that’s because you’re afraid to see it!” She skipped over to the open door and told the men to go to the dining room, and she’d bring in a dessert.

Francine took another deep breath and stood up to follow her friend. She was happy that Tia had made the best of what could have been a disaster.

Personally, she’d decided a long time ago that if she was going to teach, she would have to sacrifice the idea of being a wife and mother. Since she had quit her job, she had given a lot of thought to her changed status. The problem was that the only man she was interested in was her new employer. Following the men into the dining room, Rainer pulled out a chair for her, and she thanked him with a smile.

Tia brought a cake to the table, and it was followed by the children. The four friends talked about the changes that were taking place in town while the children were gobbling down the dessert. After their faces were wiped, they were sent upstairs to play until bedtime.

It wasn’t long after that Rainer said they had to leave. He didn’t want to be caught after dark with only a half moon to guide them over a ten-mile trek.

Following their friends to the porch, Tia exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot!” She ran back inside and returned with a box, handing it to Francine.

Robert wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, waving off their friends.

“Did you get all your man talk out of the way?” Tia asked.

Robert smiled. “Yes, how about your girl talk?”

“Francine is doing well. She loves her new job at the bank, and we can bet on the school improving.”

“Rainer speaks highly of her,” Robert said.

“I’ll clear the table, and you can check on the children.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Robert agreed with a sly grin, bending down to kiss her. “Don’t be long. This is my favorite time of the day.”

* * *

Robert slid a single plank off the wagon bed. Sammy grabbed one end, and another boy his age lifted the other. They carried it to a pile of lumber that the carpenters used to build the framework for the outside walls of the new house.

Most of the wranglers were helping, and so were many men that Robert hadn’t met before. They had shown up to help with the house framing. Rainer had organized the event, and ranchers, farmers, and townspeople had offered assistance, assuming the new lawyer knew nothing about building. Jim Hawthorn’s carpenters were there, as were the wives and families, who provided food for the volunteer workers.

Robert had quickly shown the men that while he was an attorney, he also knew how to handle a saw and a hammer. Tia would have felt more at home working with the carpenters but remained in the kitchen with the other women. The women had brought food, but Mrs. Putney controlled her kitchen.

By mid-day, Jim Hawthorn declared the perimeter construction for the first floor was complete. It was time to take a break and eat before starting on the second floor, and the skeleton of the roof.

Tia was thankful that the men and women of Stone Falls had volunteered their expertise and hard work. She wished she could have joined the men but knew her presence wouldn’t be appreciated.

As the day progressed, a mountain of work was completed. The men divided themselves into crews based on skills. The men, young and old, had vast knowledge of carpentry. It was half-past six when Jim Hawthorn called a halt to the work. He and Robert thanked the men, their wives, and the older youngsters for their help. The structure was now days ahead of schedule.

As the sun began to wain in the western sky, Robert and Tia thanked those who had come to help. Some volunteers knew Tia but not Robert, but that hadn’t stopped them from helping. It was a gesture of friendship that would not have been offered to Hayward or Raymond.

When the last wagon drove off, they found Mrs. Putney sitting on the porch swing, rocking Jenny and Billy. The children had given up the battle against falling asleep, and Francine and Tia carried them to their beds.

As everyone had left, Rainer and Robert sat on the porch steps. Rainer looked at the palms of his hands, where several blisters covered his palm. “I’m not used to doing manual labor. This will remind me why I went into banking!”

Robert opened his hands, looking at them. “With the work on the ranch, my hands have toughened again. I’ve spent too many years pushing paper.”

“We’d better be going,” Rainer said. “Even with a full moon, I don’t want to be driving after dark.” Still, the men rested, waiting for the women to return downstairs.

When they did, Robert offered his friend a handshake while Tia hugged Francine, and they said their goodbyes.

Sammy had fallen asleep in a porch chair. He had worked hard trying to keep up with older boys and was exhausted. Robert draped the boy over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes, and carried him upstairs. Robert didn’t bother to wake the boy; he just pulled off Sammy’s boots and left him sprawled across the bed.

Tia crawled into bed, yawning. “Can you believe it? They built the whole house in one day?”

Robert shook his head wearily. “This is just the frame. Hawthorn still has at least two months of work ahead of him!”

When Robert awakened, he discovered his wife’s absence. He’d been looking forward to having her the night before, but when he’d turned to her, she’d been sound asleep. Disappointed, he rolled over and closed his eyes. He hadn’t been involved in building since his brother Barton had built an extension to his house after his wife had delivered twins.

“Robert!” The urgency in Tia’s voice had Robert fighting to get out of the tangled bedsheets. He grabbed his trousers, jumped into them, and ran down the hall.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“They have red bumps all over them!” Tia exclaimed.

“Check Sammy, but don’t wake him,” Robert ordered.

Tia dashed from the room and ran down the hall while Robert uncovered the children. They were crying because Tia had scared them.

“Did they have these yesterday?” Robert asked when Tia skidded to a stop beside the bed.

“Not that I noticed, and if they did, Mrs. Putney would have noticed,” Tia whispered. “Sammy doesn’t have any spots.

“Let them sleep,” Robert said quietly. “We have to check ourselves.”

“What is it?”

Robert shook his head. “I don’t know. Whatever it is, we need to see if we have any spots.”

Tia and Robert were spot-free. “If it’s contagious, everyone here yesterday could have been exposed!” Tia worried.

“I know, that’s why I have to get the doctor,” Robert agreed.

Dressing quickly, they rushed into the kitchen, and Mrs. Putney frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Robert explained, and the housekeeper rolled her eyes and stomped upstairs. She was back in a few minutes.

“It’s chicken pox,” she said. “It’s not dangerous, and I’ve already had it. You probably have, too. Most children get it at an early age. They’ll be uncomfortable for a week or two, and we’ll have to keep them from scratching.” She went to a kitchen drawer. “I’ll wash the tikes down real good and use an udder ointment on them. It will help! If you go to town, go by the mercantile and get several pairs of small gloves. Fingernail scratching can leave scars.”

“Should we notify the parents who were here yesterday?” Robert asked.

Mrs. Putney shook her head. “The kids didn’t get it from the other kids here. If anything, they might have infected them. It takes eight to ten days for the pox to show itself. They must have picked it up when you took them to town.”

The Grayson household was put on lockdown. Robert went to the wranglers and warned them about the chickenpox outbreak. Most of the men laughed and made light of the warning. Most of the men could remember having it as a child.

Robert saddled his horse and rode over to the new house. He explained to the carpenters and the laborers that they might have carried the illness home to their families. Jim reminded Robert that the children had been kept away from the construction. Like the ranch hands, the carpenters weren’t concerned. They picked up their tools and went to work. He returned to the house for a list of needed supplies and headed to town.

Tia spent most of her day running up and down the stairway. She tried to keep the children in bed, but it wasn’t working. Apparently, chickenpox didn’t slow them down.

Dr. Phillip examined everyone in the house and told them the pox wasn’t a big concern.

On the seventh day, Tia woke up with pox on her chest. She was isolated to the bedroom by Mrs. Putney. As it turned out, the children breezed through the childhood ailment. Tia didn’t. She became dizzy whenever she tried to get out of bed and had to lie back down.

She was stiff and sore after a few days of being quarantined in their bedroom. She was also naked under the covering of a bed sheet. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and Robert entered their room with an armful of wildflowers he’d picked.

“Are you feeling any better?

Tia shook her head and looked down at her gloved hands. “I itch and know not to scratch, but it’s hard!”

“The children managed to get through it without scars.”

“Don’t pick on me. Dr. Phillip said the pox was harder on adults than children.”

“I can’t stay with you. I have work to do. I remember having chickenpox when I was about seven years old,” Robert said.

“Go!” Tia exclaimed. “But before you leave, get me a writing tablet from the library.”

Robert kissed her on the forehead and said, “I can’t do that. Doctors orders. No reading. No straining your eyes.”

Tia covered her face with a pillow. “I’m not going to read. I want to write!”

“It could still damage your eyesight. You are a terrible patient.”

“I’ve never been a patient before,” she complained.

“You’ll survive,” Robert said firmly as he left the room. “In two weeks, it will be a bad memory.”

Tia picked up a boot from the floor and threw it at the door as it closed. She hated being sick!

The door reopened, and Robert pointed his finger at her. “Behave! The doctor didn’t say I had to restrain myself from paddling your backside!”

He closed the door, and Tia looked at her reflection in a mirror and groaned. Her hair was wild and loose, and she looked like a mad woman. My God! She looked like cranky old Mrs. Hellnor. She looked like a witch!

Tia went to the water closet and filled the tub, but she didn’t want to bother Mrs. Putney to heat the water, so she took a cold bath. The house Robert was building would have new inventions that provided hot water with the turn of a knob. Brushing her hair, she put on her best sleeping gown. The bath and tit balm seemed to help with the itching.

* * *

With Tia laid up with chickenpox and Mrs. Putney caring for the children, Robert split his time working with Hank or over at the new house. According to Hawthorn, his crew was a few days ahead of schedule.

After the second week, Doctor Phillip said that Tia had a mild case and was lucky that the pox hadn’t spread to her face. By that time, Robert was frustrated. He’d gone from a single man who had occasional sex with a willing woman to being a married man who was used to having sex almost daily. Sometimes, he was a lucky man and got sex two or three times a day! He was irritated but didn’t want to bother his wife when she wasn’t feeling well.

Tia was feeling abandoned. She’d never been the aggressive partner in their sex life, but she was feeling ignored. Making love with Robert had been a surprise to Tia. She’d thought sex was something that only men enjoyed. She’d been wrong, but her husband hadn’t been interested since she’d come down with the pox.

All they’d done lately was talk before going to sleep, and now that she was on the mend, Tia decided to do something about it. Going to her mother’s armoire, Tia removed a long sleeping gown and made it indecently short using scissors. Then she cut off the sleeves and cut the neckline in a deep V so her breasts were partially uncovered.

That evening, when it was bedtime, Tia put on her altered gown, but she went into the water closet and gave Robert time to undress. Then she walked across the bedroom to the bed. He was lying on his side, not facing her, but she was not going to let him ignore her.

With a tug of the blanket, Robert was exposed. He turned over, and his mouth opened in surprise as his eyes took in what she was wearing.

“What...”

“You know what I want,” Tia explained.

Robert was surprised and pleased by his wife’s actions and could feel his body responding. She’d rarely initiated sex. Tia didn’t need to, as he was always ready. She never turned him down, either. Now, she was being aggressive. “Are you up to it?” he asked.

“That’s my question,” Tia whispered. “I’m ready and willing.”

Robert’s body tightened, and his response made a tent in his knee-length long johns. Sitting upright in bed, he yanked down his underwear and tossed it on the floor. He crawled across the bed, and with a single motion, Tia was stripped of her indecent gown.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Robert groaned, letting his eyes take in her nakedness.

It didn’t take long for Robert to enter her body, and that was what Tia wanted. He delivered deep strokes, thrusting in and out, and she reciprocated by wrapping her legs around his waist. They needed each other, and he couldn’t stop himself when she responded in kind.

Opening herself fully to him, Robert thrust deeper into her body. They enjoyed themselves so much that they covered their mouths so they wouldn’t wake the children. A groan escaped Tia’s throat as she went rigid and shuddered with her release. Robert made a guttural sound as he came and collapsed onto her softness.

It was a night of sex, and they moved together, enjoying and fulfilling each other’s needs. Awaking the following day at daybreak, they left their bed naked.

Admiring her beautiful curves, Robert decided to teach her something he liked but hadn’t proposed trying it with his innocent wife.

When she exited the water closet, Robert stood beside a high-backed chair. She went to him willingly, and they kissed possessively.

“Would you like to try something different?” he whispered in her ear.

“What?”

Robert pulled the chair away from the wall. He turned Tia around and lifted her over the highbacked chair. “It’s called sodomy, and it is actually against the law.”

“Why?” Tia asked. “Will we get into trouble?”

“Only if you admit to doing it. I have paid extra for it with saloon women,” Robert confessed. “It might be uncomfortable your first time, but from my perspective, it feels great. I believe that what goes on between a man and a woman is their business. It’s not the business of the lawmakers.”

The mention of Robert going to saloons for female companionship made Tia jealous and angry. She didn’t want him going to saloons for something she could provide.

“Is it going to hurt!” she asked.

“It’s never been described that way to me,” Robert admitted. “We can try. If you don’t like it, tell me. I’ll stop immediately.”

Tia nodded, not knowing exactly what she agreed to but willing to try. As Robert entered her body through a different passage, at first, it felt intrusive. She could feel every inch of his manhood sliding in, each stroke deeper than the last. It was an intense feeling. It wasn’t like making love the usual way he’d shown her. The strange thing was that she felt goosebumps rising all over her body. As he plunged into her deeper, it created amazing vibrations that made her tingle with anticipation.

She could feel Robert filling her body. The sensations weren’t like anything she’d felt before. Then suddenly, she orgasmed, and it was the strongest reaction she’d ever felt. It only took seconds for her husband’s body to respond the same. Then, as his sex shrank and their bodies separated, she felt abandoned.

As Robert removed himself, he turned Tia to face him and kissed her. “Well?”

Left with a body still reacting and making her feel strangely detached, Tia asked, “When can we do it again?”

Robert laughed and hugged her. “Any time, sweetheart, just remember it’s our secret.”