A Headstrong Woman (39 page)

“Good morning,” she finally returned.

“I have to go to town with Ted to return the wagon he rented yesterday and to see to a couple of things, are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine, maybe I can catch up on a few things that are behind here in the house,” she assured him.

“Don’t overdo it,” he cautioned before kissing her again. “On second thought maybe I’ll let Ted go by his self,” Jonathon joked and watched Alexandria color; she also smiled.

“Go on; I’ll never get anything done if you hang around here all day,” she said with mock sternness.

“Probably not,” he conceded with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Go on,” she laughed.

“I was planning on eating first.”

“Oh yeah I guess I should dress Lilly and myself and get down stairs to help,” Alexandria said as she threw aside the covers and stood.

“I’ll dress Lilly and meet you down there,” he offered.

After the men had left, Alexandria, with a relieved sigh, settled into a day at home. By lunchtime, she had scrubbed the entire upstairs and laid out her mourning clothes for storage. She had no more than finished dragging her trunk of mourning clothes into the attic than she emerged from the stairway to find Jonathon topping the stairs from below.

“That didn’t take long,” Alexandria noted.

Jonathon smiled, “We didn’t linger, we saw to business and started home,” he told her. “Are you ready for lunch? Millie just about had it ready and Lilly was already at the table when I entered.”

“Is that time already?” she asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Jonathon responded with a smile as he brushed a cobweb from her hair.

“Let me wash up,” she requested before following him down to lunch.

***

Knowing that her husband wouldn’t be far behind her, Alexandria quickly dressed for bed. After pulling her dressing robe on, she sat down at her dressing mirror and loosed her hair from its bun. The heavy curls fell down her back.

It was to this sight that Jonathon entered the room. He loved her hair; it was like a silken, black waterfall. He moved to stand behind her, took the brush from her, and started brushing her hair. Alexandria forced her hands to her lap.

“You have beautiful hair,” he told her.

“Thank you. I would have cut it if not for you,” she shared.

“I’m glad I didn’t let you.”

Alexandria felt unexpected warmth at his words.

“I have something for you,” he told her.

Alexandria’s questioning gaze met his in the mirror.

“I’ll give it to you just as soon as we’re through here,” he promised.
              True to his word, he turned from braiding Alexandria’s hair, leaving her pondering where he had learned that, and claimed some folded papers from his drawer where he had placed them. He handed them to Alexandria and watched as she read over them.

She looked up at him in surprise.

“This says the mortgage is paid,” she said unnecessarily.

“I looked over the paper work, Alexandria. You didn’t owe as much as he said you did. The loan was set up so that you saved interest by paying it in full before the final payment. He was trying to collect full interest from you. It wasn’t an impossible amount minus interest,” he shared with her and watched her frown. Alexandria sighed, shrugged, and shook her head.

“I’m not going to think of the ‘what ifs’,” she told him.

Jonathon smiled, “Good.”

“Thank you, Jonathon. You’ve removed Mr. Moody from our lives. I can’t tell you what that means to me,” she said sincerely.

“I’m rather relieved as well,” he smiled. “Oh I ran into your dad in town; he wants to take us out to dinner tomorrow night,” he remembered.

“Good,” Alexandria smiled. “Mom and Anna can meet Ted.”

“Oh, speaking of Ted. I hope that you don’t mind, and I’m sure you won’t, he asked for a job. He’s always been infatuated with the idea of being a cowboy,” Jonathon sounded amused. “He’ll be moving into the bunkhouse tomorrow.”

“That’s fine,” she assured him as she quickly removed her dressing gown and climbed into bed. Jonathon undressed for bed and joined her.  “Wouldn’t it be funny if Anna and Ted fell for each other?” Alexandria asked her husband.

Jonathon smiled, “I can all but guarantee you that Ted will fall for her.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Jonathon said before kissing his wife.

***

Anna lay in her bed trying to quiet her torturous thoughts of Alexandria and Jonathon together. She was trying so hard to let go. Earlier her dad had announced that they would be having dinner with them tomorrow night and that Jonathon’s brother had arrived. Well she knew one thing; she would not fall for this one and make a fool of herself. Once was enough thank you anyway. He was probably nothing like Jonathon anyway. Of course what did that matter? She had finally admitted to herself that Jonathon wasn’t right for her and that he was right for Alexandria. She had been bothered by the closeness between them from almost day one. Jonathon had admitted to caring for her sister but Anna could say without a doubt that he was head over heels in love with Alexandria. Had Anna been more objective earlier she would have noticed a lot sooner. She also was now able to admit to the pure male appreciation that often lit Jonathon’s eyes when they rested on Alexandria.

And Alexandria, Anna knew her sister, Alexandria was falling in love with Jonathon whether she realized it or not. Anna shook her head; she wondered what it would take to get Alexandria to realize that?

Would she ever find love herself, Anna mused? It didn’t seem likely at the moment but she knew that was mostly because her pride and her heart were smarting. Anna sighed and tried to find sleep.

Anna fidgeted as she waited for her sister and former crush. She wanted to get this day over with and wanted to go home where she could relax and not have to pretend that she didn’t mind seeing Jonathon with Alexandria. She spotted Alexandria and Jonathon coming her way and studied the man beside them; her cheeks stained red with recognition. He was the man from the boardwalk, the one that had winked at her! Anna quickly moved to stand mostly behind her father and wished that she had found a graceful way to decline coming.

“Clay, you remember my brother Ted?” Jonathon inquired before introducing him to Shirley. Shirley smiled warmly at the young man and stepped aside to expose Anna.

“This is, Anna, our youngest daughter,” Shirley introduced them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss.” he said as he leaned over and kissed her hand. “I believe, Miss. Cannon, that while we didn’t speak our paths did cross day before yesterday,” Ted’s eyes were twinkling. “It was raining and you were in your buggy…”

“Yes, of course, it’s a pleasure to see you again, sir,” she said in a clipped tone before she moved to stand inside the hotel.

Shirley frowned at her daughter’s rudeness but made no comment.

“That was the lovely, if a little curious young woman, that I encountered in town,” Ted confided after Clay and Shirley had turned to lead the way in.

Alexandria laughed, “It’s no wonder she was staring at you. Anna lived with me from the time of Elijah’s death until the time that Jonathon and I married. In fact, they had likely just come from our place when you encountered her. There is no way she could have missed the similarities between you.”

“Careful, Ted, she’s had a rough time of it lately without your flirting,” Jonathon cautioned.

“Me a flirt?” Ted asked innocently; then laughed at himself.

They entered the restaurant and were soon seated.

“How are you two newlyweds fairing?” Clay inquired.

“We’re fine,” Alexandria’s cheeks were slightly pink but she was smiling. “I know it was sudden but Jonathon and I get along very well.”

“You think it was sudden?” Ted asked her family. “I arrived into town and discover Jonathon’s married his beautiful boss, who he assured us that was all she was in his last letter,” Ted teased and watched his brother smile as Alexandria blushed again.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Ted asked Anna as she was sitting her water glass back on the table.

Anna started; her glass toppled. Anna began patting at the wet tablecloth with her napkin and a waiter appeared to help. After the mess had been cleaned up and a fresh glass of water set at her place, Anna turned to Ted.

“To answer your question, no, the person I
was
interested in is otherwise engaged in his affections,” she answered truthfully. A general hush fell over the table as everyone looked everywhere but at each other.

“I see, how fortunate for me,” Ted was wondering why everyone was avoiding the topic of Anna’s love interest. Anna turned red and conversation moved on. After their food arrived, conversation was more erratic and a short time later, desert having been finished, they moved outside.

“Thanks, Dad,” Alexandria hugged her father. “We enjoyed having dinner with you.”

“You’re welcome, we enjoyed it too.”

“It looks like it might rain, we should probably all get going,” Jonathon suggested with an eye on the sky.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Clay agreed. They made their farewells and were soon on their way home.

***

Alexandria found herself at a loss as to what to do with herself the next day after she finished her chores that morning and decided to take a bath while her husband was busy on the range. She had just dressed in a comfortable day dress and pulled her hair from her face with two hair combs when she heard a knock at the front door. Millie had gone to town and Alexandria and Lilly were alone in the house. Lilly was napping.

Alexandria reached for her loose her hair and cringed. It would be highly improper to answer the door with her hair down as it was. She had no option she realized and hurried to answer it. She was wishing she hadn’t when she found Lane on her doorstep. She hadn’t expected to see him here again.

“Hello, Lane,” she didn’t invite him in.

“Alexandria, I’ve come to apologize for my behavior the last time I was here. Can you ever forgive me?” his face was truly repentant.

Alexandria was wary, “I’ve already forgiven you, Lane.”

“May I come in? I’d like to talk with you. Calmly this time,” he said hopefully.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Alexandria hesitated.

“Please, Alexandria? I just want to apologize,” Lane pleaded.                Alexandria rather reluctantly opened the door for him to enter.              “I apologize for my hair, I had just washed it and there was no time to pull it up,” she said as she led the way into the parlor and perched nervously on the settee. She had expected Lane to claim the seat across from her. She stiffened when he sat down beside her.

“Your hair is beautiful. I had forgotten how it pulls into soft curls when it’s down. I haven’t seen it down since we were kids,” he watched her pull further away. He wanted to be angry with her but reminded himself that her fear was a result of his handling of her on his last visit. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper and scare her.

Alexandria didn’t like the intimate nature of this conversation.               “You said you wanted to talk,” she prompted coolly.

“Alexandria, I really botched things the last time I was here. I know that your dead line is fast approaching and I want…I want to marry you, Alexandria.”

“Lane, I’m already married,” she informed him.

“Alexandria, I know that you’re still mourning Elijah. I understand, however, he’s gone, my dear. You’re still here and have your whole life ahead of you.”

“Lane, I know that Elijah is dead…”

“Your hair, it really is beautiful,” his eyes darkened.

Alexandria swallowed hard. This wasn’t going well, she had learned in her short marriage to Jonathon what that look meant.

Lane tried to pull his eyes from Alexandria’s long tresses, but failed. She was beautiful. Did she have any idea how distracting she was? She haunted his thoughts during the day and his dreams at night. She had become an obsession.

“Come here, Alexandria,” he ordered.

Alexandria jumped.

“I just want to kiss you, like I should have last time,” he told her.               Alexandria’s eyes widened and she flew to her feet.

“Lane, I think we should continue this discussion at a later time. I really shouldn’t have permitted you into the house without Millie here,” she said as she moved away from him.

Lane had come to his feet and was pursuing her.

“Come here, Alexandria,” his voice was low and caressing.

“Lane, I’m a married woman,” she argued as she skirted around him, he grabbed her arm.

“We’ve been over this, Elijah is dead,” he attempted to pull her close.

“I know Elijah is dead but Jonathon isn’t,” she all but squeaked as she struggled against his grasp on her.