A Moment in Time (24 page)

“I wrote my friends in Diboll,” Jake announced. “The two docs I was tellin’ you about. One’s a lady doctor.”

Hannah smiled. “Good. It’s about time we had a few of those.”

“Well, since you talked about the old doc in Cedar Springs, I thought I’d put out the word that we could use a couple of younger doctors. I don’t know if they’d ever consider leavin’ Diboll, but I figured it was worth a try. I don’t want Marty to be without a good doctor.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t fret, Jake. Women have been having babies without doctors for centuries. I’ve even known doctors to refuse deliveries because that’s something a midwife could handle. If I were you, I’d just relax. I’ve delivered babies before, and I’m sure I can deliver this one just as well.”

Jake hated that he sounded ungrateful for the care Hannah had given her sister. “Oh, I know you’re well trained. I’ve been real impressed with the way you take care of everybody around here. I hope you’ll forgive me for implying otherwise.”

Hannah handed him one of the freshly baked cookies she’d just taken from the pan. “Jake, there’s nothing to forgive. You’re just being mindful of your wife’s needs. I admire that. And frankly, I would like to have a lady doctor around.”

Marty entered the room with her nose up in the air. “Do I smell your cinnamon sugar cookies?” She spied the pan and gave a squeal of delight. “Oh, I did. You have no idea how much I’ve craved those.”

“You should have said something,” Hannah chided. “I would have made you a batch every day.”

“And I’d be four times this size,” Marty replied, patting her abdomen.

“You’re a perfect size, and cravings are natural for expectant mothers. Here, have a cookie. They still need to cool, but I’ll put a stack of them on a plate for you, and you can eat to your heart’s delight.”

Marty took the cookie and bit into it. A look of satisfaction and pleasure filled her face. “Mmm, just as I remembered.”

Jake had already devoured his cookie and was hopeful that Hannah would hand out more right away. She seemed to read his mind and did just that. Jake offered no resistance.

“So when should we expect the boys?” Hannah asked Marty.

“Almost anytime. We sent the money. In fact, we sent extra to make sure the boys had what they needed. Mr. Brentwood is making arrangements for them. He doesn’t want them to travel by themselves, so he’s trying to find someone to accompany them. He said he might be able to secure a chaperone within the week.”

“That’s wonderful. We should have your place completely ready for their arrival. Although I do wish you’d stay here until the baby is born.”

“It’s not like you’re that far away,” Marty replied. “You told me first babies are usually long in coming, so I should have plenty of time to send Jake or someone else to fetch you.”

Jake knew that Marty had her heart set on moving the boys right into their new home. “I think I’d best get back to work. I promised Will that I’d have that new pen built by the time they came back from the Reids’ with those new geldings.”

He cast a glance at Marty. “You doin’ all right?”

She smiled. “I’m doing just fine. Stop worrying.”

He nodded and made his exit without another word. Approaching the new pen, he could see that the other men had been hard at work. It was nearly complete. The worst job had been digging postholes. After that, the rest almost seemed easy.

“You fellas made good progress,” he said.

“Had to, since you ran off,” an older man named Bert declared. He threw Jake a grin. “But I guess if I had a pretty wife about to have a baby, I’d wanna check up on her, too.”

Jake knew that Bert had once worked for Marty and went to work for William when she moved to Colorado. He rather hoped the man might want to return with them to Marty’s ranch. He was going to need all the help he could get, and Bert knew the ranch better than anyone else.

“Say, Bert, you ever think about leavin’ this place?”

Bert straightened from his work. “Leave the Barnetts’? What’d you have in mind?”

“I know you worked the Olson ranch after Marty was widowed. I wondered if you’d like to come back and work for me. I don’t have much money just yet, but your room and board would definitely be covered. Marty and I plan to sell off a few head this fall, so I could give you part of that in wages owed.”

Bert took off his hat and wiped his brow. “I reckon I’d be
right honored to come back. Always enjoyed the work there. How quick were you two plannin’ to return?”

“Soon. We want to get settled in before the orphans we’re adopting arrive.”

Nate, one of the boys who’d come to live with the Barnetts the year before perked up at this. “Who’s coming—if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Not at all,” Jake replied. “There are three of ’em. Wyatt is the oldest. Then there’s Samuel and Benjamin.”

“I remember Wyatt but not the other two. I know they’re going to love it here. I never had a real home until the Barnetts took me in.”

Jake couldn’t imagine not having a close family connection. “What happened to your folks?”

The sixteen-year-old shrugged. “My mom died when I was young, and my pa just sort of drifted. I was passed around from one family to another. We didn’t have no other folks. Finally one of the families learned that my pa had died of typhoid fever. They decided enough was enough and turned me over to the orphanage.”

Jake thought it sad to have been so unwanted. “How old were you?”

“Eleven.”

“Most folks would have found a boy like you to be an asset. You could have easily helped out with the workload, if nothing else.” Jake realized that sounded as though the boy were only good for labor.

Nate didn’t seem to notice. “There wasn’t much for me to do in the city. I was in school during the day, and when I came home there were chores to do, but not like here. Most of the folks who took me in were poor as church mice, and I was just another mouth to feed.”

“Well, I’m sure glad you came to Texas. Down here folks know the value of a young man like you. I’m sure you’ve more than earned your keep. I heard Hannah say that you two were a real pleasure to have around.”

Bert joined in at this. “Him and Hiram are two of the best greenhorns I ever had to train. He learned quick and that’s always good.”

“I’m glad you and the missus are adopting those boys. It’ll be good for them to have a real home and somebody who cares about them.” Nate picked up a long rail. “I’m gonna need help attaching this to the corner post.”

Jake pulled on his gloves and followed the boy to where the rail would be secured. Listening to Nate’s story had touched him in an unexpected way. Marty had told him stories about the children, but they remained just that . . . stories. Now it all became much more.

Jake hadn’t really considered how adoption might affect the lives of those children. He’d only considered how it might affect his life and Marty’s. It shamed him to think that he’d not even thought to find out the story of each of the boys. Where had they come from? Who were their people, and how could they just abandon their children?

The sound of a wagon drew Marty’s attention to the front window. The large freight wagon pulled to a stop out in the drive, and Marty could see that Mrs. Chesterfield was sitting atop with the driver.

“Goodness, Mrs. Chesterfield is back,” she announced when Hannah came to investigate.

“Are Alice and Simon with her?” Her voice betrayed hopefulness.

Marty could see the two climbing down from the wagon. “Yes! I’m so glad. This will mean the world to Robert.” She flung open the door and made her way outside.

“Alice!” Marty went to the younger woman and embraced her. “I thought I might never see you again.”

The driver helped Mrs. Chesterfield from the wagon. She seemed quite pleased with herself, and Marty wasn’t sure if it was the fact that they’d returned to the ranch or the company of the driver.

“Roy James, ma’am,” the man announced, tipping his hat as Hannah came alongside. “No relation to Jesse.” He chuckled heartily, and Marty found that she instantly liked the man. “I drive freight outta Dallas to Cedar Springs and beyond. Headin’ up Denton way today.”

Hannah extended her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Hannah Barnett. Why don’t we go inside and I’ll prepare some refreshments.”

“I’d be pleased to do so,” he declared.

Marty remained with Alice as the others made their way into the house. “What in the world were you thinking?”

“You got my letter, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and your Bible. Grief, Alice, you nearly sent me into labor,” Marty said in a stern reprimand. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I don’t know that I can remain here,” Alice answered, “but I knew I had to come back and try to explain my heart to Robert.”

“You won’t have to explain much. The poor man went half mad when he learned you were gone. He took one look at your letter to him and was ready to charge off in search. We finally convinced him to wait until morning. He hasn’t returned yet.”

“He came looking for me?” Alice asked in disbelief.

“Yes, silly. He’s half over the moon in love with you.”

Alice’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “He is?”

Marty laughed. “I guess love truly is blind, but the answer is yes. He had fully planned for the two of you to talk things out when he returned from Fort Worth with . . .” Marty decided against mentioning the ring Robert had purchased. “With the others,” she finally added.

“That means I destroyed his chance for a life with Miss Atherton.” She shook her head. “I never meant for that to happen. I didn’t set out to fall in love. It just happened.”

“There was never going to be happiness for Robert if he married Jess. He knew that, and so did she. They ended any possibility of that weeks ago.”

“But he said nothing.”

“You weren’t listening,” Marty insisted. “He tried on more than one occasion to get you alone. He said you went out of your way to avoid him.”

Alice nodded and dropped her gaze to the ground. “I did. I thought if I stayed out of his way, kept myself from any hint of intimacy, that we’d both be better off for it.”

“And were you?”

Alice let out a heavy breath and raised her head. “No.”

“Well, you’re back now and that’s all that matters. I don’t know when Robert will return, but when he does, I hope I’m around to see the reunion. It’s gonna be a doozy.”

With Alice at her side, Marty made her way into the house. Hannah had already seen to it that a plate of her cookies was positioned on a side table and was just returning with a tray holding tall glasses of sweet tea.

“Mr. James, will you drive all the way back to Dallas tonight?” Hannah asked. “You don’t have to, you know. We can put you up.” She offered him tea and he took a glass.

“No, ma’am, that won’t be necessary. Like I said earlier, I’ve gotta make my way up to Denton. I’ve got friends up that way, and I’ll spend the night with them.”

Hannah nodded and served the others. When everyone was settled with a glass and cookies, she finally took a seat. “Well, I’m glad you were available to bring our friends home.”

“I had the pleasure of their company on the way to Dallas, and when they looked me up this morning, I couldn’t help but assist them in returning. The company is the best I’ve had in years.” He turned to Mrs. Chesterfield and winked. The woman blushed and looked at her hands as the man added, “I hope to share it again.”

Hannah looked at Marty and smiled. It was easy enough to see that the older couple was already sweet on each other.

“I’m gonna go out and see your horse, Alice,” Simon announced. He held a cookie in each hand. “I’ll bet he’s gotten bigger.”

“Simon, we’ve only been gone a day.” Alice sat down beside Marty on the couch and sighed. “You’d think we’d been away for weeks.”

The boy shrugged. “Well, I hope we aren’t gonna leave again. I want to stay here forever.”

Mrs. Chesterfield shook her head as Simon barreled out of the room. “I swear that boy has the energy of a wildcat. He wears me out, but it does me so much good to see him happy again.” She looked to Hannah. “I was wondering if maybe you could use a housekeeper.”

Hannah nodded. “I’m sure I could use the help. If Robert has his way, he’ll marry Alice and start having a family before we know it, and I’ll want all the free time I can get to spoil my grandchildren.”

Marty looked at Alice. She was clearly embarrassed by the declaration but said nothing.

From her position by the window Marty could hear a rider approaching. She leaned forward to glance out and saw it was Robert. She couldn’t help but grin. “Oh, this ought to be really good.”

The others looked at her in confusion, but it was Hannah who posed the question. “What are you talking about?”

“Robert just rode in.”

The room went silent. All gazes shifted to Alice. The younger woman was biting her lip and twisting her hands together. Marty reached over and stilled her hands.

“Remember, he’s just as much in love with you as you are with him.”

Alice said nothing and even the boisterous Mr. James remained quiet. It was as if the entire house held its breath in anticipation of Robert’s arrival. They didn’t have long to wait.