A Convenient Wife (9 page)

She nodded. “It's just hair,” she said uneasily, as if she sensed his growing arousal. “I'll braid it before I go to bed.”

“You forgot, Ellie,” he said quickly. “We were going to share a kiss.”

“All right.”

He felt the tenseness in her shoulders as he gripped them in his palms, knew she was wary of his intentions, and in that moment recognized that he could not, in good conscience, consummate his marriage tonight. But he could kiss her. In fact, he was determined to kiss her, give her a taste of his desire, perhaps incite a little of that elusive emotion in her.

He bent low, tilting a bit, meshing his mouth with hers. One hand left her shoulder and cradled her head, turning it to one side, the better to fit their lips in a soft, undemanding
caress. She inhaled, her mouth opening just a bit, and her breath shuddered against his face.

Again he blended their mouths, urging her compliance as he nudged at her upper lip, then brought his teeth to capture the lower, laving her sensitive flesh with his tongue. She gasped, and, congratulating himself on his gentlemanly instincts, he took no advantage, but kept his play to the edges of her mouth, inside her lower lip and then to her cheek.

That his breath was rapid, his body tense and his manhood more than erect was to be expected, he realized. But that Ellie should lean against him so willingly was a bonus he had not anticipated. Her eyes closed as she allowed his gentle exploration, as though the pleasure of his touch was more than welcome.

Numerous kisses blessed each part of her face and throat, and against her ear he murmured soft wordless sounds. Small whimpers deep in her throat gave him the response he sought, and he held her closer, moving against her restlessly, seeking some small amount of relief from the pressure of tight trousers and a desire he'd long ignored.

At that, she stiffened, shifting away from him, and a shivering indrawn breath made him aware of taut muscles and a shudder that racked her frame.

He bent his head, pressing his forehead against hers. “I'm sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I didn't mean to frighten you.”

Ellie nodded, forgiveness implicit in the small gesture. “I just…just for a moment, I—”

She wasn't ready for this. Her only experience with a man had not left her with anticipation uppermost in her mind for the act of loving. Tommy Jamison had much to answer for, Win decided.

Yet, he could carry her to his bed. He knew it, as surely as he knew his own name. She would not deny him, no matter that her wariness was apparent. But he would not try to
persuade or force Ellie into a consummation tonight. Over the next few days he would woo her, coax her with kisses and caresses. And then when she was willing, when she came to him, he would make her his bride.

“W
ell, it's been almost two weeks since the big day. Do you feel married yet?” Kate asked, her tone amused as she sat beside Ellie on the back stoop.

“I don't know how that's supposed to feel,” Ellie admitted. “I feel like a wife, I suppose. I'm doing all the things every other woman does with her days.”

Kate cast her a sidelong glance. “I don't think you caught my meaning, Ellie. And perhaps I have no business being so nosy, anyway.”

“Are you talking about sharing a bedroom, like you and James do?”

“That's part of it,” Kate told her. “And I'll have to admit, I've peeked over here. I've seen your candle lit every night this week. So either Win has moved upstairs or you're not ready for that part of marriage yet.”

“Win hasn't…” Ellie bit at her lip. “I don't think he wants to do that with me. He hasn't mentioned it anyway.”

“Oh, I'll bet he does,” Kate said airily. “He wouldn't be a man if he didn't.” She patted Ellie's hand and squeezed it gently. “He may be waiting for you to make the first
move. Maybe he thinks you're not ready to accept him into your bed.”

Ellie felt heat invade her face and she looked down at the scant leaves of grass surrounding the porch. “I'd do anything in this world for Win. I think he knows that.”

“Maybe he doesn't want you to do it as a favor, honey,” Kate told her quietly. “He may be waiting until you decide it's something you'll both enjoy.”

“Enjoy?” Now that was a new idea, Ellie thought with a scowl. “I didn't find much that was fit to talk about when Tommy—” She bit at her lip. “I didn't mean to say that.”

“And this again is none of my concern,” Kate said, removing her spectacles, and polishing them with a fold of her dress. She pressed on, her own cheeks taking on a flush that might have been embarrassment. “Did Tommy only make love to you once?”

“I wouldn't call it by that name,” Ellie murmured. “It was a lot of puffin' and pantin' and shovin' at me, and all I got was five minutes of pure misery.” She looked down at herself and one hand pressed protectively against her belly. “And a baby.”

She looked up at Kate then. “I don't really mind about the baby. Not now, anyway. Not since Win married me.”

Kate's arm slid to enclose Ellie's narrow shoulders. “Things will work out for you, honey. And by the time the baby comes, you'll be tickled pink about having a husband and a child of your own.” She sent a look across the yard as a screen door slammed.

“Are you ladies gonna spend the whole afternoon sittin' in the sun?” James came across from the back of his house, and his gaze was warm as it rested on his wife. “I came home early, Kate. Thought you might need some help in the kitchen.”

“I just let the children out of school,” she said with a sigh, “and then I managed to drag myself this far. I'm afraid I didn't even go into the house.”

“We can walk over to the hotel and eat in the dining room if you want to,” he told her. “Just give me a chance to wash up.”

Ellie's mouth opened before she thought twice. “If you'd like some pot pie, I've got a big one in the oven. Win will be home soon. He went out to take a look at the ranch hand with a broken leg. He's worried about infection setting in.”

“That fella's lucky he doesn't have a family to support. It's hard to collect anything on payday when you're laid up,” James said, propping one foot on the stoop and reaching to touch Kate's head. “You doing all right?” he asked, as she looked up at him.

“Just a backache,” she told him. “I've had it most of the day.”

“Did you tell Win?” He shifted, his eyes narrowing as he peered intently into her face. “Maybe the baby's—”

“What kind of a backache?” Win spoke from inside the kitchen, and Ellie jumped at the sound of his voice.

“I didn't know you'd gotten home,” she said, hastening to her feet.

“I just got here, honey,” Win said, his gaze still on Kate. “Does it come and go, Kate? Or is it a steady ache?”

She shrugged. “I don't know, Doc. Once in a while I get twinges….” Her voice trailed off as she bit at her lip. “This is pretty personal stuff we're discussing here.”

“Having a baby's a pretty personal event,” Win drawled. “And I wouldn't be surprised if you're heading for the first stages. Might even be well on your way. Anybody who keeps going the way you have for the past months probably won't be having a long, drawn-out time of it.”

“Do we need to go home and let you go to bed?” James asked anxiously.

Ellie thought he looked very young for just a moment, his brow furrowed, his mouth pursed. His eyes swerved to Win,
and as if he must touch her, reassure himself that she was all right, he reached for Kate.

Ellie's heart ached, sensing that James would suffer right along with Kate when the time came for her delivery. She spoke quickly, wanting to distract him from his fear. “Why don't you come on inside, and get some supper first?”

Kate shot her a grateful look. “That sounds wonderful. James may need a good meal to fortify him if Doc's right.” She clasped James's outstretched hand and he tugged, giving her leverage to rise from the stoop. Once on her feet, she lifted massaging fingers to the small of her back and then eased her way to the door. “Come on, Ellie. I'll give you a hand.”

With a fervent hope that there was more than enough food to go around, Ellie held the door for Kate, then hurried toward the big, iron stove. “It's hot in here,” she said, fanning the air with a dish towel as she opened the oven door. The crust was browning nicely, she decided. It had turned out well, and wasn't that a good thing, being the first time she'd had company for supper.

“There's potatoes in the pie,” she told Kate. “I think just some tinned peaches and cookies for afters will be fine.”

“James isn't fussy these days,” Kate confided. “I've been pretty lax lately. By the time I get home from school, I haven't felt much like being a cook.”

“I don't know how you do it,” Ellie told her. “And yet, I'm so happy that they haven't made you stay home and gotten someone else for the school.”

“I'm the talk of the town, you know.” Kate lifted four plates from the kitchen buffet and placed them around the table, then turned to the drawer for silverware. “Half the folks are pleased as punch that our town council is so forward thinking, letting me teach, when the other half of the ladies think I should be secluded behind the doors of our house.”

“Well,” Ellie said sagely, “you can't please everyone. And
James is happy with what you're doing, so I don't see that much else matters.

“Win said the threshers are coming next week. You couldn't have planned this better if you tried.” Ellie checked the coffeepot, deciding to begin anew with a fresh brew, and poured the leftovers from earlier in the day into her slop bucket. Fresh water and a handful of grounds from the glass jar, followed by the egg she always added were put together quickly, and the pot was placed on the front of the stove.

“Why don't you sit down?” she said, watching closely as Kate's hands met beneath the rounding of her belly. And then her eyes narrowed as she watched the other woman's face settle into lines of total concentration. “Kate? Are you having pains?”

Kate nodded. “Not bad yet, but that's the fourth one in the last little while.” She looked toward the back door, where the murmur of men's voices could be heard. “I don't want James to worry.”

Ellie shrugged. “He probably will anyway. He's pretty taken with you, isn't he?”

Kate nodded, and her smile was radiant. “Seems to be. He says he's going to be right there when the baby's born.”

Ellie stepped into the pantry and returned with cans of peaches and a bowl of cookies. Knife in hand, she worked to open the tins, then poured the fruit into a bowl. “I could come, too, if you wanted me,” she offered diffidently. “I've never seen a baby born. I guess I never knew anybody that was going to have one, till now. But, I've helped with calves sometimes, and watched when the dog had pups.”

She swallowed a bubble of laughter. “Not that those are anything to go by. I mean, I know having a baby is different. I just thought if you needed me, I could maybe stand by.”

“I'd be pleased, if Win doesn't mind,” Kate said agreeably. “He might not want you to be frightened by the process, what
with you having to look ahead to the same thing, before too long.”

Kate's fingers gripped the edge of the table as she spoke, and her eyes widened a bit. “I believe I'd better not eat very much,” she decided. “This might be going faster than I thought.”

Ellie walked to the back door. “If you'd like to come in, we're about ready to sit down at the table,” she offered. Win opened the screen door, and in moments he and James had washed and were pulling out chairs. The pot pie was placed on a folded towel in the center of the table, and Ellie stuck her largest tablespoon through the crust.

“Coffee will be another ten minutes,” she announced, “but we can go ahead if you want to.” Looking at Win for directions, she placed small bowls near each plate, then brought the peaches and cookies to the table. “There's fresh bread, too,” she said, remembering as she hastened back to the pantry.

“This looks wonderful, Ellie,” James said. He reached to scoop a serving onto Kate's plate, and she held up her hand.

“Just a little. I don't think I should eat too much.”

Win nodded. “I was about to suggest that.” His eyes rested on Kate. “Do you want me to get Tess Dillard or maybe Ethel Talbert to help?”

Kate shook her head. “No. Ellie will be there. It's all decided.”

If he had any objections, Win swallowed them, his glance at Ellie questioning. And then he nodded agreement. “If she's game for it, I can use a hand.” He reached for the bread and slathered butter generously across the slice. “It's been my experience that husbands aren't much good, except for hand holding and back rubbing.”

James ate steadily and quietly. Perhaps his worries had been soothed by Win's teasing, Ellie thought. It hadn't done much to ease hers. Her own stomach was in an uproar. She'd made the offer, and if Kate needed her, she'd do her best; but
she was dead certain that birthing a calf and a baby were not really in the same category.

 

In fact, they were decidedly different. Settling Kate into bed at midnight, Ellie heard the low voices of James and Win in the kitchen, and glanced at the open bedroom door.

“Not yet,” Kate whispered. “I don't want them just sitting in here, waiting for things to happen.” Her eyes closed and her breathing became deeper, finding a new rhythm as she waited out the pain that gripped her.

“Maybe Win should check to see how you're doing,” Ellie said.

“And maybe you should go home to bed,” Kate told her, relaxing her hold on Ellie's hand, her whole body seeming to sag into the mattress.

“No, I want to stay with you.” She reached to pull a chair closer and eased onto the seat. Kate appeared to be asleep, and yet Ellie sensed she was only a whisper away from awareness. It seemed only a moment until Kate stirred and her eyelids fluttered. A soft sound, uttered beneath her breath, signaled her discomfort and within seconds she was involved in another contraction. Her jaw was taut for a moment, and then she seemed to force herself to relax, inhaling deeply and releasing the captured breath through her lips.

Through the next hour, the pattern was repeated, with Ellie able only to sit by and watch, wringing out a soft cloth in cool water to place it on Kate's brow. Win came to the door twice and looked in, lifting an inquiring eyebrow in Ellie's direction. But Kate only grunted, and waved him away, too intent on her labor to allow another participant.

And then, within a few minutes, the intensity of Kate's discomfort seemed to increase. Ellie had never felt so utterly helpless in her life. “Delivering a calf sure didn't prepare me for this,” she muttered as Kate's muffled groan signaled the peak of the contraction. “I just wish I could do more to help,”
Ellie said fervently, reaching to clutch at Kate's hand, offering the only comfort she could. “Shall I get James?”

Kate shook her head, her eyes closing. “Don't call them yet. When it really gets bad, and the pains are closer together, it'll be time enough to—” Her words ceased and her grip tightened on Ellie's fingers, as another contraction followed.

“I think the time is now,” Ellie decided. She rose from the chair and went to the doorway. “Win? I think something's different. Her pains are closer and a lot harder.”

James was on his feet and halfway across the room before Ellie's words were spoken. He brushed past her and fell to his knees beside the bed. “You should have let me in sooner,” he told Kate, his voice harsh with emotion.

“It wasn't necessary.” Kate opened her eyes, her hand lifting to touch James's cheek. “You've always been a big distraction, sweetie. I needed to concentrate.”

Win stood at the dresser, washing his hands in the basin, scrubbing his fingers with a small brush. “I have a notion things are underway, James. You sure you're up to this?” His tone was teasing, but his look was level as he turned to the bed. “Sometimes it's hard to see the one you love in pain.”

“She stuck it out when Ethel took care of a gunshot wound in my arm a while back. The least I can do is return the favor,” James said with a cocky grin. “I'm not leaving you, Kate. I was with you when this whole thing started, and I'll be here when the baby comes.”

It seemed the pains would never cease, but Kate was uncomplaining, her body accepting the gradually increasing contractions that lifted and rounded the contours of her belly. Win's hands were gentle, carefully examining her. His words were encouraging, acknowledging her pain, assuring her of her progress. And in between each session, he walked to the window, looking out into the night, pacing to Ellie's side or across to where James murmured soft phrases against Kate's ear, his lips brushing her cheek and forehead.