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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

H ugh swallowed hard. Christmas was still two weeks away. What if Annie changed her mind in that time?

If that were to happen it would be best if it did so before they married. He couldn’t believe she wouldn’t regret this decision sooner or later and yet he wanted to marry her in the hopes it would bind her to him. Unlike Bernice, to whom marriage meant nothing, he knew Annie would honor her vows.

But he didn’t want her feeling trapped.

“I don’t mind waiting,” he said.

“Fine by me.” Annie sounded a little less than enthusiastic and why that should make him feel better, he wouldn’t say.

“Good,” Grandfather said. “Maybe in that time, you will come to your senses.”

Annie’s brows beetled together. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

“Nor am I,” Hugh said with enough conviction to make himself clear.

Grandfather shrugged. “I didn’t suggest you should.”

Annie let out a gusty breath. “You don’t make any sense.” She hurried to the stove.

“I’ll be in my office.” Hugh didn’t look back.

The days following settled into a routine. They’d agreed not to say anything about their planned Christmas wedding until they could speak to Annie’s father. At first, Hugh wasn’t sure how to act around Annie or what she would expect but it soon became apparent nothing had changed.

Except for a subtle strain. She didn’t linger after putting Evan to bed, so there were no more quiet, intimate evenings. He wished he could ask her what her reasons were, but he had his own to deal with.

He couldn’t believe someone like Annie would want to marry him. Worse, that she wouldn’t change her mind, and so he allowed questions to remain unasked.

Perhaps the strain was in his own mind only. Annie remained cheerful. She made Evan laugh on many occasions which brought a chuckle from Hugh. One thing he couldn’t deny was the amount of pleasure Annie’s presence brought to his home.

And slowly, as the days passed, he allowed himself to hope that this was the life he could enjoy. He found it easier to sit in his office and work if the door was open enough for him to hear the voices coming from the kitchen.

Every day, he read from the devotional book Annie had given him and found his faith expanding.

One portion especially encouraged him. “Enable me to be living more from moment to moment on Thy grace—to rely on Thy guiding arm with more childlike confidence—to look with a more simple faith to Thy finished work.” He discovered, he noted with a touch of irony, it easy to say these words and throw himself upon that childlike faith when his life was full of hope.

That gave him an idea for his sermon, and he soon had scriptures and notes outlined.

Feeling rather pleased with his life, when it was time to put Evan to bed, he turned to Annie. “Will you help me tuck him in?” She hadn’t accompanied them to the bedroom since Happy had arrived, and Evan went without a fight.

Her eyes flashed pleasure. “I’d like that.” She reached for Evan’s hand, and side by side, the three of them crowded down the hall.

“Why don’t we kneel by your bed and say our prayers?” she suggested.

To date, Hugh had prayed and then taken the boy to bed, but at his suggestion, Evan agreed. And the three of them knelt side by side, Evan in the midst. She draped her arm around Evan’s shoulders. Hugh did the same; the two of them united in caring for his son. His heart burgeoned with gratitude.

“Shall I go first?” Hugh offered a simple request for safety and a good night’s sleep.

As soon as he said Amen, Annie prayed. “God, bless each one in this house and grant us joy in Your love.”

Her words brought a lump to the back of Hugh’s throat.

“Me.”

His eyes jerked open as Evan spoke. His glance met Annie’s, as full of surprise and awe as he knew his was. He squeezed her arm. She smiled shakily.

“Thank you for Papa and my new mama,” Evan whispered. “Amen.” He bounced to his feet. Then, he knelt again and closed his eyes. “And Happy.” The pup wriggled at his name.

Annie reached for Evan and pulled him into a hug. The boy still stiffened at this closeness but relaxed enough to press his head to Annie’s shoulder. “Evan, I thank God for you. I love you.” She held him a moment longer, then turned him toward Hugh.

Hugh had never hugged the boy, afraid of frightening him, perhaps afraid of rejection. So far, he’d settled for squeezing the boy’s shoulders or patting his head but at the way Annie nodded and pushed the boy toward him, he knew she expected he would do so.

God, help him accept my affections. He opened his arms and pulled Evan to him, not surprised when the boy stiffened. When Evan melted against him, leaning his whole frame into Hugh’s chest, his heart threatened to explode.

Following Annie’s example, he whispered, “I love you, Evan.”

The boy rested in his arms a moment longer, then scurried to his mattress.

Annie pulled the quilt over him and kissed him on the forehead.

Happy curled into a ball beside Evan.

Annie stood up, smiling.

Hugh knelt beside the boy and his dog and kissed his son.

Evan closed his eyes, put his hand on Happy’s neck, and sighed.

Hugh reached for Annie’s hand, pleased when she took his and led them from the room. Wood lay ready in the fireplace. He waited for Annie to sit on the couch, then lit the fire.

His heart was too full to allow him to sit and he walked back and forth in the space between the couch and the fireplace. “He spoke a whole sentence. He prayed out loud.” The words caught in his throat, and he couldn’t go on.

Annie came to his side. She took his hand and faced him. “He’s going to be okay. Better than okay. I believe he will be stronger for what he’s had to overcome.”

“It’s all thanks to you.” He cupped his hand over her head as a wave of tenderness washed through him. “You’ve shown him it’s okay to trust people.”

“So have you.” He knew she’d avoided being with him the last number of evenings, perhaps not wanting to cross the boundaries they’d set, but his gratitude toward her needed expression. He pulled her to him and pressed his thumb to her bottom lip.

She closed her eyes and lifted her face. A clear invitation, and he brought his lips to hers, kissing her with a heart so full of emotion that he could barely breathe.

She sighed and brought her hands to the back of his head. Giving as much as receiving.

He reluctantly ended the kiss, and when she made no move toward leaving his arms, he pressed her head to his shoulder and his cheek to her hair. She stayed there, her arms around his waist.

“Pa should arrive any day,” she murmured. “A week from now, we should be getting married.”

She spoke those words in a way that caused him to know she looked forward to the day. Just when he thought his heart could hold no more, it flooded with joy unspeakable.

Annie took her time making her way to Uncle George’s store. Would they be married Christmas day? She skipped two steps. Wouldn’t that be special? And Grandfather’s friend, the judge and his wife, planned to visit so there would be someone to marry them.

She’d left Evan playing with Jeannie at Sadie and Logan’s house so she could purchase a special gift for him.

Uncle George had a Noah’s Ark along with pairs of many animals for sale.

She’d told him she wanted to purchase it and was on her way to pick it up.

Wouldn’t Evan be pleased? And it was something Jeannie could play with when she came to visit him.

She rounded the corner on Mineral Avenue. Just as she passed the assay office, someone jumped in front of her.

“Annie, I’ve been hoping to see you.”

She knew that voice. She fell back three steps and stared at a familiar face. “Rudy. Where did you come from? What are you doing here?”

He grinned. So self-confident. So brash. The very qualities that had attracted her in the first place.

“I’ve come to spend Christmas with my sister.” He leaned close as if sharing a secret. “And to see my favorite gal.”

She sniffed. “And who would that be, pray tell.”

“Now, don’t get all annoyed at me.” He pretended to look repentant. “You should have known I would come back.”

“I knew no such thing.”

He nodded. “Yes, you did. My sister says you don’t have a beau. I know you were waiting for me.”

Why of all the nerve. How presumptuous and self-important could he be? Had he always been so annoying? She knew he had. How could she have been so blind?

“Why don’t you accompany me to Miss Daisy’s Eatery? I’m sure she’ll have a special treat for us.”

What he meant was she would have something for him. As if the whole town had been holding its breath waiting for his return.

“I’m sorry. I have other plans.” She tried to get past him.

“Let me change your plans.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her close, leaning toward her, intending to kiss her.

Anger scalded through her, and she fought not to slap him right there in the middle of the street.

But she didn’t want to attract any more attention than she might already have.

She pushed away his arms and glanced around, saw no one watching and knew a moment of relief.

She faced him, so full of indignation it was all she could do to speak calmly.

What had she ever seen in this man? He was nothing but a blowhard buffoon.

“Rudy, I’m afraid your sister is mistaken. I am making plans to soon marry. I am no longer interested in you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re angry at me.”

“I’m saying that because I’m in love with someone else.” The words were out before she could filter them. She pushed past Rudy and continued on her way to the store, though she hardly remembered what she meant to do.

Love was not part of their agreement and certainly not what she wanted.

She must continue to deny it, must hide it.

Hugh had made a call to an elderly widow woman two blocks from the main street. She was feeling discouraged and welcomed his visit. He’d prayed with her, and he felt her spirits had lifted by the time he left.