Choices of the Heart (18 page)

She stood to fill her glass of lemonade, considering what type of response might be appropriate and what she would tell Reese about the other man.

She had briefly considered marrying Tom. What a step up in society! An abused farm girl marries a renowned, wealthy doctor. They would have moved in all the elite social circles in Lincoln and Omaha. Tom even had aspirations to become a member of the Nebraska Legislature and mentioned Washington DC more than once.

He was arrogant and controlling. Seductive, charming and handsome, but too overbearing. Their marriage would have been a cold, very formal arrangement. She would have decorated his arm at parties and served as hostess at teas for wives of the other doctors. He told her she would have maids and a cook. It had sounded boring, at the time. Still did. Would her life have been similar to Daisy’s had she chosen Tom?

Rosie clamored through the back door, breaking up her musings.

“Mama, you’ll never guess what I just did!”

Chloe stood speechless for a moment, catching Reese’s eye as he came in behind the little girl. Had he heard?
Mama
. Rosie had called Chloe Mama. Chloe’s throat grew tight, and she swallowed hard, bending down to look in Rosie’s sparkling eyes.

“What did you just do?” She snagged a hug then released Rosie quickly, waiting to hear what had her so excited.

“I—milked—a—cow! A real one.” Wide-eyed, she covered her mouth with her hands. “Holy smokes, can you believe it?”

“How exciting.” Chloe laughed and then hugged her again. It would be terrific if she were always this excited with her chores. Chloe straightened. “So, where’s the milk?”

“Right here.” Reese held up two pails of frothy white liquid.

“Papa said it was too heavy, and that I would drop it.” She pulled out a chair at the table. “Can I drink some of it?”

“You bet.” Chloe chuckled, curious just how much milk the little girl had actually retrieved on her own. “Help me set the table?”

“You bet!” Rosie repeated Chloe’s response.

Chloe handed Rosie one glass at a time from the cupboard, and the young girl dutifully placed them at the spot where each chair sat at the table. The dishes came down next, and then Chloe pulled the silverware from the drawer, noticing she would have to add some pieces to the collection. There were five people suddenly living in the house, instead of a single man.

“Mama, you hear Charlie crying?”

“I’ll go see to him. Can you finish putting the forks and spoons out, please?” Chloe kissed the top of the girl’s head and went to check on the baby.

He was gurgling happily in the dresser drawer she had him sleeping in. Chloe hoped he’d do as well in the crib when it arrived. These were the first smiles she’d seen from the boy, and she thrilled at the sight. She heard the back door open and Bobby’s babbling voice.

She checked Charlie’s diaper, replaced it with a fresh one and rushed into the kitchen to show Reese how happy the baby was. It was a relief and convinced her he was truly a healthy child. He’d just needed to adapt to the new family.

She stopped short when she saw Reese. Anger and hurt etched his face as he stood reading the letter she’d forgotten to put away. Her heart fell. She was mad at herself for not setting it aside to share with him later, to soften the surprise.

“Did you lie to me? Did you sleep with him, Chloe Anne? Are you in love with him?” His voice was deceptively soft, and he didn’t take his eyes off the letter.

“Reese—” She moved forward and touched his arm.

He pulled it away as if she had burned him. “Did you?” he demanded.

“What did I tell you?”

He met her eyes, and the uncertainty and pain she saw there ripped her heart out. The jealousy, not unlike what she had felt when she’d learned he and Isabelle were dating, was obvious as well.

Without another word, he handed her the letter and walked back out into the yard.

“Reese!” She rushed after him, baby still in her arms.

“Not now, Chloe.” He didn’t turn but kept walking away from her. “I’ll be back in a while. Send Rosie to get me for supper.”

Standing statue still on the porch, she watched him leave her. It wasn’t her fault Tom had written. It was, however, her fault that she’d left the letter sitting there. She should have told him about this before.

She walked back into the house and put Charlie on a blanket on the floor in the living room. Now what? And why did life always have to be so complicated? She collapsed on a chair and heaved a heavy sigh. Bobby crawled onto her lap and plugged his thumb into his mouth.

Chapter Seventeen

Tension. Anger and hurt.

Only the occasional brushing of the sheers against the windowpane in concert with the breeze broke the silence. That, and the gentle breathing of his wife lying next to him.

He had a right to feel hoodwinked. She’d never told him about this Doctor Tom. But he had no right to be angry with her for not remaining alone. He had courted Isabelle, but Chloe knew about that.

Chloe never had any intention of coming back to Broken Bow, so she’d lived her life in Lincoln looking ahead, not back. He’d gleaned that much from her attitude when she’d arrived for the funerals.  She never planned to marry Reese. Apparently, she’d been all set to become the wife of a doctor. No wonder she wasn’t overly thrilled with the prospect of raising Bobby and staying here. But why had she opted to stay, after all?

“I didn’t sleep with him. Didn’t even come close,” she whispered into the darkness. “You’ve been my one and only, Reese. I told you that the first night I was back here, when I so badly needed your comfort and love.”

She rolled onto her side, facing him. He didn’t move, even when she placed a cool hand on his chest.

“You were my first kiss when I was sixteen, my first lover at eighteen. You will be my last, and the only man I have in between.” She kissed his bare shoulder and melded her body against him. “I planned to tell you this evening. About Tom. About Lincoln, if you wanted to hear about it.”

“I do,” he finally said. “It seems as if you lived a completely different lifestyle there. You know so many people I don’t.”

“They were good people, Reese. The other letters in the pile were from my roommates. They were lovely girls. A lot of fun.
Good
girls. Some women today are getting a little wild for my taste, but my friends were conservative girls with good heads on their shoulders. They finished their programs when I did. My three closest friends are staying in Lincoln to work.”

“City women are wild today; we saw that in Chicago,” Reese answered. “I read stories of the goings-on. It’s scandalous.”

“I saw their fast ways, but that didn’t mean I chose that for myself.” Chloe rested her head on his shoulder, her hand caressing his chest. “We had a matron who oversaw our activities. I will admit to drinking some illegal spirits, just like we planned to do at the speakeasy in Chicago. But that was about the only questionable activity I was involved with.”

He turned on his side then and pulled her against him. “What about those petting parties?” He had to ask, had to have answers to his questions. “Did you participate or just watch?”

“Heard about those, did you?” She pulled his face toward her and kissed his lips. “I went to one and was so disgusted and embarrassed by what I saw there, I left.” She rested her head back on his shoulder. “I couldn’t imagine getting pawed by some strange man. That didn’t seem much like entertainment to me.”

“No?” Reese rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him “I thought you like to kiss? You’re awfully good at it.”

He cupped her cheeks and brought her lips down to meet his, wanting a sample of her skills, despite his concerns.

“Just certain people.” She leaned forward and kissed him again.

“Me and who else?”

“Who said I like to kiss you, huh?” she teased.

“Actions speak louder than words.” He wrestled her under him, leaned up on one elbow so he could see her face. “And I am about to show you just how much I like kissing you. How about we have our own little petting party, honey?”

“Not having strangers watch us might take some of the excitement away.” She trailed her fingers low on his chest, spreading her fingers over his stomach.

“I disagree.” Reese brushed her cheek. “Touching you is all the excitement I’ll ever need.”

~*~

“You’ve got an extra spring in your step today, Reese.” Mr. Jacobson, the owner of the mercantile, met Reese at the shop’s counter.

“Just a beautiful summer day,” Reese answered with a smile.

There was a lot adding to his happiness today, but he wouldn’t share the reasons with Jacobsen. Reese watched Chloe with the children, picking out activities to keep them busy.

“I saw you come in with all those young’uns and Miss Chloe. I’m betting there’s quite a story behind that one.”

“Not so odd, really.” He looked back at Jacobson. “They were given up by their mother, and we took them in. Chloe fell in love with little Rosie right away, and we couldn’t separate the brother and sister.”

“Awful nice of you. You’ll have to add on more rooms to that old farmhouse a yours if you have children of your own.”

Reese laughed, but the mercantile owner was right. He’d have to add a leaf to the kitchen table and more chairs and more diapers and more… He shook his head as it started to spin with details. Just more people to love and be loved by. He and Chloe both needed that.

“I was hoping you’d set up a credit line for me. I haven’t needed it before, but my wife might need something and not be able to get to me for cash before she comes to town.”

“You don’t need to explain. Most husbands do that for their wives.” He laughed. “Know what?” Jacobson leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Her mama had an account here. Kept it separate from the family account. Said something might come up, and she’d need money fast.” He crossed his arms. “That bastard she married kicked the hell outta her more often than not. I was happy to keep it for her. I still have several hundred dollars set aside in an envelope. Kept it for Chloe and Daisy. Was meanin’ to speak to Chloe about it when she’d come home for the funeral.”

“I understand.” Reese considered the implications of what Jacobson was telling him. “A hundred, you said?”

“More like three. She added to it every now and then. When she sold off chickens. Or them pretty quilts she sewed.”

“I didn’t expect that.”

“You got a dowry and didn’t even know it. Pretty good deal.”

“Chloe was more than enough.”

“You sure act like a fella in love.” Jacobson slapped him on the back and laughed.

Reese’s face heated.

“That obvious, huh?” He laughed to cover his embarrassment. “Go ahead and put it in Chloe’s name. I’ll tell her she’s got an account to work with.”

“You’ll tell her it’s from her ma?”

“I will. Just not right now.” He winked at Jacobson.

Chloe came up to the counter, carrying Charlie and a basket full of merchandise. “I think I have all I need.” Chloe turned her bright smile toward the owner. “Hello, Mr. Jacobson. You’ve expanded your inventory since I was last in.”

“Well, it’s been too long, Chloe girl.” He laughed. “I hired Linnea Barker to do the ordering. Was she in your class?”

“Two years older.” Chloe handed Charlie to Reese and set the basket of goods on the counter. “She’s doing a fine job. As nice as any store in Lincoln.”

“That’s quite a compliment. I’ll pass it along to Linnea. She’ll be thrilled.”

“There’s money on account for you,” Reese told her. “If you need something in the future, you go right on ahead, and they’ll take good care of you.”

“Well, thank you Reese.” She smiled up at him. “I think this is all I need today. Just the necessities to fill the pantry and the icebox.” She started removing things from her basket and placing them on the counter. “Well, that and some fabric to make a doll for Rosie. Every girl should have a dolly.”

After following Chloe around the store like baby ducks, Rosie and Bobby now waited quietly at her side, each holding paper and an eight-count box of
Binney & Smith
school crayons.

“Put your supplies up on the counter, children,” Chloe told them. “We don’t want to keep Mr. Jacobson from his other customers.”

After paying their bill and saying goodbye, they left the store, nearly colliding with Isabelle Mathers, who was on her way inside.

“Hello, Isabelle,” Reese said.

“I heard your family had grown since you left town.” She glanced at Chloe with a look of malice and then at Charlie, whom Reese still held, and Rosie, who was sucking on licorice.

“This is Charlie.” Reese did the introductions. “You know Bobby, and this little girl is Miss Rosie.”

“You adopted them?” Isabelle asked, incredulous.

“Yes, we did,” Chloe answered.

“How charitable of you.” The sneer in Isabelle’s voice was unmistakable.

“Isabelle, enough. I’m sorry this couldn’t have worked out differently,” Reese told her quietly, pointedly looking around at the people on the street.

She tipped her nose up and walked off into the store in a huff, without going in to the mercantile or a glance back.

Chloe slipped her arm through his and took Bobby’s hand. They walked down the few blocks toward where they’d parked their vehicle.

“I feel so sad about that, Reese. It wasn’t at all fair to her.”

They paused at the corner and waved to Mrs. Rowen as she drove by.

“Isabelle cares about you, thought you would marry her.”

“I would have, had you not come back.” Reese continued walking, glancing over his shoulder, making sure Rosie was still following them. She seemed fascinated by the buildings in the town. They were smaller than what she knew, and she’d said more than once that she was amazed the sky could be so clear.

“Everything happens for a reason.” Chloe agreed. “I really think Daisy and Ronnie are looking down on us, cheering for our marriage. Helping us grow together so their son has a good life.”

“I reckon so.”

She stopped outside the car and faced him, picking invisible pieces of lint off his shirt. She seemed to do that all the time. Touched him, invented reasons to touch him. He liked it, a lot. It reminded him of how they once were, years earlier when just being with her had brought him pleasure.

“I still feel sad about Isabelle,” Chloe told him. “We should find her another man. Someone to take her mind off you.”

“You think she’s pining for me?” He smiled. It was flattering to have two women interested in him, even if he had eyes only for Chloe.

“Reese.” She slapped his chest. “That’s
not
a good thing. Unless you plan to have an affair.”

“You know better, honey.” He couldn’t even believe she suggested such a thing. She’d
better
know better.

“I suppose I could ask you what you asked me last night.” She looked at him with a coy look in her eyes. “Only I already know the answer.”

“What’s that?” He furrowed his brows, not understanding what she meant.

She leaned in and whispered, “I could ask if you slept with her.”

“If you did, my dear wife,” he said, tweaking her nose, “I would answer exactly the same as you did.” He tipped up her chin. “
First, last and only
.”

~*~

Life settled into a routine. It took Chloe a good two weeks before she had the children on any sort of schedule and another three days before she had all areas of the house cleaned out, beds made, crib set up and clutter taken to the bin to be burned. September was in full swing, hotter than any in recent memory.

As far as the housework went, her cooking was turning out better than she’d expected. When her trunks came, her dear friends had included some bridal gifts, including three cookbooks. Her friends had suffered through her cooking for years as she tried to figure out what to do with meat and veggies.

Charlie laughed a lot now, had completely changed from the sullen little boy they’d brought home. He was also rolling around and trying to sit up by himself. She dreaded the day when he started to crawl. The household was so busy, and keeping track of Bobby and Rosie, who’d decided they were best friends, was hard enough for Chloe. She couldn’t imagine how chaotic things might get with a crawling baby in the mix. Still, all three children were thriving, coming out of their shells and settling in to their new home.

Reese, however, was more of a challenge. He’d let the children worm their way into his heart. In fact, the love and interest he showed all three of them was incredible. He treated them as if he had actually fathered them.

With Chloe, he remained remote. He was letting his guard down little by little, but Chloe still sensed a thick wall between the two of them. At night, he’d wrap her in his arms and treat her like the most precious thing. At dawn, he went back to being distant and stiff. He respected her, that she knew, and he cared about her, treated her fine, actually, but would he come to love her as much as she loved him?

She’d realized only a few days ago, she had never stopped loving him. He was under her skin, a part of her life and always would be. He’d told her that the land was in his blood, that he could never leave the farm. Chloe understood, because she felt the same way about Reese. He made her blood course faster. He made her heart sing. Would he soon forgive her for leaving without him? Would he ever? If he didn’t, could they still be happy?

She wanted him to say those three little words that every woman longs to hear. She’d cut herself off more than once from admitting to him how she felt. But maybe that was a mistake. Maybe she should tell him. Why not throw all her cards out on the table?