Falling in Love With Her Husband (18 page)

books that I looked forward to reading, and I used to bother

Alex to get pictures for me. It just felt like something I was

meant to do.”

He smiled. “When can you start?”

I blinked. “Aren"t you going to ask me if I have any

experience?”

“Do you have a desire to farm?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think you"l need a tractor?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to learn how to build and repair a

tractor?”

“Yes.”

“Then that"s all you need. Desire is more important

than experience. My sons and I will teach you everything

you need to know. According to John, you can"t get enough

of hearing him discuss farming.”

“Yes. I must be a pest with all my questions.”

“Nonsense. You"re passionate about what you want

to do. Passion is what makes a good employee. You"l

have to lose the suit though. Working with machines is dirty

work. Can you start today?”

I had told Ann I was going to an interview with Mr.

Fields and would be back as soon as it was done, but I

didn"t think she would mind if I stayed longer than I had

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planned, especially when I told her I got the job. “I can,” I

replied.

“Great. We have a huge order due by Friday. You

came at the right time. You can borrow a pair of my work

clothes today and then wear suitable clothes tomorrow.”

I nodded, excited and grateful.

***

The next morning before Ann woke up, I set the

snowmen kitchen gift set on the table. I hesitated when it

came time for me to write something in the card Mrs. Coley

gave me. Final y, I wrote, “I greatly appreciate your support

and care for me. Your worth is above rubies. Yours, Todd.”

I didn"t usually leave before she woke up, but I

wished to surprise her with the present. I didn"t realize how

good it would feel to give her something. I enjoyed giving

her dresses, but this was different. It was something she

would never have guessed I thought to give her. Thanks to

Calvin, of course. I would have to give him a piece of candy

next time I saw him. I was looking forward to Christmas so I

could give Ann her wedding ring. I really wanted to get her

something to mark the beginning of our life together.

I washed up as well as I could before I returned

home. I wasn"t sure what to expect. I walked through the

back door and hung my coat and hat on the hook. I took my

boots off. The house smelled of freshly baked cake. I

grinned. She only made cake when she was in a good

mood.

I turned to face the kitchen and saw that she was

waiting for me. She was only a few steps away, and she

was smiling.

“I got your message and the gift,” she quietly said.

“Thank you.”

“You"re welcome.”

She walked up to me and hugged me.

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I hugged her back, enjoying the feel of her in my

arms. I kissed the top of her head. She smelled like

lavender. I reached up and lightly touched her silky strands

which she let fall down her shoulders in gentle waves. Did

she wear her hair down for me? I liked thinking she did. My

hand descended to the side of her face. Would she mind if I

touched her? I hesitated to do so but since she hadn"t

backed away, I let my fingers brush her cheek.

“Your skin is soft,” I whispered.

She stepped back and ran her hands up my arms.

“You have gotten stronger out here. It must be all that time

you chop wood.” She reached up and caressed my cheek.

“I"m glad you shave. I like the feel of your face.”

My heart pounded as I looked into her eyes. I didn"t

know what to do so I stood still and waited for her to make

the next move. I promised her I would wait for her to be

ready, and she said she would let me know when she was.

I was shocked and pleased when she kissed me. It was

longer than the kiss she gave me before.

When the kiss ended, she cleared her throat. “I

made steak and potatoes for dinner and cake for dessert.

They"re ready.”

I was so happy that she kissed me that it didn"t

bother me that she didn"t want to do more. It occurred to me

that she was opening up to me and that knowledge was

enough to satisfy me.

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Ann’s Point of View

When I returned to working for the Coleys the next

day, some additional gossip regarding Todd had spread

through the town. No one came to me directly, but they

talked freely in the mercantile as I checked the inventory in

the back. I heard various comments such as, “Mr. Fields

better watch his money,” and “That Todd Brothers should be

forced to leave town,” and “If Mr. Richard wasn"t such a

forgiving Christian, he would have had Todd arrested”. As

many people as there were to discredit Todd, there were

those who stood up for him. They said that if the Russells

and Coleys said he was innocent, then that was all the proof

they needed.

That night, I sat on the couch in front of the warm,

cozy fire as Todd got out a book to read. When he sat next

to me, I couldn"t help but notice he sat close enough to me

so that our shoulders touched. My heart pounded with an

unexpected excitement. I didn"t know when things had

changed between us, but I found that I looked forward to

being with him. It wasn"t that I didn"t enjoy being with him

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since we married, because I did. But something was

different. I wanted to explore the physical side of out

relationship.

After he finished reading, he put his arm around my

shoulders, and in response, I snuggled up to him.

“Ann?” he whispered, as if afraid to break the

silence.

“Yes?”

He hesitated.

Curious, I sat up so I could look at him. Part of me

was relieved to see that he was as nervous as I was about

consummating our marriage, but another part of me found

his blushing very flattering. Hoping to encourage him, I

smiled and reached for his hand. “What is it?” I gently

pressed.

His eyes held mine and I could feel his love flow into

me. “I love you.”

Before I could respond, someone knocked on the

front door.

Startled, I jerked away from him.

“Who would be coming here this late?” he grumbled

as he stood up.

I was just as disappointed as he was but worried

someone might be in trouble. Was one of our friends sick?

I jumped up and followed him.

I laughed when he opened the door. “Agnes! What

are you doing here? How did you find us? How did you get

here? Is anyone else with you? Why didn"t you write? Oh,

it"s so good to see you!” I hugged her.

Todd chuckled as he waved her inside. “Give her a

chance to come in before barging at her with all those

questions. This is a pleasant surprise.”

Once he brought her carpet bag in, she sat in front of

the fireplace. I insisted that she tell us everything.

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Todd, who realized how much I missed Agnes, took

the bag up to the third bedroom and started a fire in the box

stove.

Meanwhile, Agnes told me all about her journey. “I

signed up for a three week retreat to New England, but I

came here instead. I can figure out how to be a proper lady

in social situations any old time, but I don"t get a chance to

see my closest friend anymore. As soon as several of my

lady classmates left for New England, I hopped a train and

headed out west. Your parents were gracious enough to

give me your address, though they assumed I wanted to

write you a letter.”

“Do your parents know where you are?” I whispered

so Todd wouldn"t hear me.

Agnes understood my reason for the secrecy. “They

don"t approve of what he did at all. We can"t even talk about

him.”

“Surely, they wil come around. He is their only son.”

She shook her head. “My father feels betrayed.

Family loyalty is everything to him. Todd was supposed to

work at the bank, but he"s out here farming. My father is

very strict about duty and obligation. My mother, however,

is in tears most of the time. She misses Todd but can"t do

anything about it. My father makes the decisions for the

family.”

“That"s awful.” How was Todd going to take this

news?

Agnes proceeded to tell me all the details of her train

trip, especially regarding the people she sat next to. One

elderly couple was also going to North Dakota, so she joined

them for the most of the trip.

“Weren"t you scared to travel alone?” I asked.

“I was but I figured if I stayed around other people

the entire time, I would be safe. And it worked!”

As she rambled on about her journey, my thoughts

drifted to Todd. Was he giving us time alone to talk? I

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marveled that I should wish for him to be near me after

trying to avoid him all the other times Agnes and I talked.

“This woman had so many feathers on her hat, I

wondered if she was imitating a peacock,” Agnes continued.

“Oh, that hat was gorgeous, just like the male of the species.

I told her so. I think she was offended at first, but when I

assured her that I meant her no ridicule but considered the

hat to be one of the most beautifully decorated I had ever

seen, she became amiable toward me.”

Todd brought us a cup of hot cocoa. He sat across

from us. I hid my disappointment. I had some room next to

me on the couch even though I sat next to Agnes. There

was a time I dreaded his closeness, but I couldn"t seem to

recall why.

“Agnes, are you going to let anyone else talk?” Todd

asked. “Yours is the only voice I"ve heard since you got

here.”

“For your information, she wants to know all about

my trip, right Ann?” Without waiting for me to respond, she

described her strange encounter with an old lady who

confused her cat with her dog. “She was the best part of the

trip though. She was so funny.”

“You should have told us you were coming. We

would have gone to town to meet you.”

“Oh, the stage coach driver didn"t mind when I

offered him extra money to bring me here. Besides, the

looks on your faces was worth it. I wish I had a picture of

that moment.” She giggled and then sighed. “It is beautiful

out here. I can see why you wanted to come here. Alex"s

pictures didn"t do this land justice.”

After a moment of silence, I turned to her. “I missed

talking to you. So much has happened. It seems like it was

only yesterday when we arrived, but I have a year"s worth of

stories to tell you. I"m sure Todd has a lot he wants to tell

you too.”

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He stood up and collected our empty cups. “What I

have to say can wait. I"d better get some sleep so I can

wake up for work.”

We thanked him.

“Don"t bother getting up early for me tomorrow. I"l

get breakfast in town,” he told me.

I smiled at him. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He was

so good to me.

He returned my smile. To Agnes, he said, “I"l talk to

you when I get home from work.”

She grinned. “I can"t wait.”

Once he was upstairs, she squealed with delight.

“He adores you more now than before you got married! I

knew you were perfect for each other. To be honest, I was

thrilled when my parents discovered his letter announcing

his marriage to you and your quick departure to the west. It

was so romantic.”

I blushed. Maybe it had been romantic. “Have you

found a beau yet?” I wondered.

“Oh, there"s no one worthwhile. I don"t want to settle

for second best.”

“You shouldn"t have to,” I agreed. “You don"t want to

be with someone who doesn"t treat you well.”

“I won"t.” She hesitated for a moment before giving

me a sly smile. “So... When am I going to be an aunt?”

I had a funny feeling that my parents would be