Love in Independence (Holiday Mail Order Brides) (11 page)

“He’s still a man.”

“Winnie, what’s gotten into you?”

Winnie looked at her and met her worr
ied gaze. “I don’t know, maybe I spent too many years listening to my mother complain about my father. He … he never loved her. It was an arranged marriage; I guess something like a mail-order bride. Anyway, it didn’t work out, at least on an emotional level. My father kissed my mother only when she asked him to. Otherwise, he showed no affection toward her.” She swallowed hard. “I suppose I … I just answered my own question.”

“What question?”

“The same one you just asked. What’s gotten into me?” She sighed. “The man kisses me and I act as if it’s the end of the world.”

“It’s only the end of the world if he didn’t mean to. But a man like that isn’t going to do
something he doesn’t want to.”

Winnie stared at her. “Thank you.”

“For what, dear?”

“For listening.”

Maude smiled. “I know I come across as a bit rough. But I’m a romantic at heart, just like Martha and Mercy, and I’d like nothing better than to see you happily married to Pastor Luke. The fact that he kissed you lets us all know he’s interested.”

Winnie smiled, her mood lightening with the realization that Luke Adams was not her father
; and that she would
not
have the same kind of relationship, or lack thereof, that her parents had had. “I had no idea I feared a loveless marriage until now.”

“We usually don’t know something’s there until someone flushes it out in the open. Best it happened now
, rather than later.”

Winnie nodded. “You know, I’m glad I’ve met you, Maude. You and the others are starting to remind me of … this sounds silly … but you remind me of three fairy god-mothers.”

“As long as we don’t remind you of three witches, then I think we can live with it.” They laughed, hugged, and went to join Mr. Smythe in the parlor. Tomorrow would be another day and, hopefully, Winnie would be presented with an opportunity to allow Luke Adams to kiss her again.

Eleven

As it was, the next day Maude came down with a nasty cold, so Winnie stayed and helped Mr. Smythe with his some of his regular duties (none of which involved handling cadavers, thank heavens!), and picked up most of Maude’s work as well. Because she’d become quite ill, literally overnight, Winnie missed working at the church not only that day, but the next, and the next, and the next. This, of course, caused more than a little concern on her part. For one, she knew how disorganized Luke could be when left to his own devices, and two, Winnie was no stranger to a woman with a chronic illness, and Maude’s condition was getting worse. Or was it? At this point she wasn’t sure. She’d never seen anything like it.

“You don’t have to stay with me today, Winnie. Go to the church. Help Pastor Luke.”

“I can’t leave you by yourself,” Winnie said. “What if you have another big coughing fit like yesterday?”

Maude frowned as she recalled the incident. “Yes, I suppose,” she muttered. She’d coughed up blood the day before, and made a mess of
her nightdress and the sheets with all her sneezing and hacking. “Thank you again for being there for me. I can tell this isn’t your first time caring for someone.”

“No
, it’s not; and I’m happy to do it,” Winnie told her as she took a brush and sat on the bed. “Now, let’s make you presentable. Your secret is out, and Pastor Luke told Mr. Smythe he’d try to come by today.”

“Maybe
the two of you can work on the celebration while he’s here.”

“Maybe
; we’ll see. You’re more important than making plans for a parade or pie- eating contest.”

Maude smiled, and coughed. “I don’t know what this is
; seems every time this part of summer rolls around, I’m bedridden for at least a week.”

Winnie stared at her. “What do you mean? This has happened before?”

“Oh yes, ever since we came out west fifteen years ago. Don’t know what it is, just always happens.”

Winnie took a section of Maude’s hair and ran a brush through it. “Well, I must say, I’m glad to hear it. Not the fact
that you’re sick, mind you, but that it’s more of a seasonal sickness. I’ve never suffered such a thing myself, but I’ve heard of others who have.”

“Is that so? Hmmm
; I’m not the only one then. Jonathan used to think I got sick on purpose, just so I wouldn’t have to work on any Fourth of July committees with Mrs. Brock.”

Winnie laughed. “I’ll keep quiet on that one, but I can understand his point.”

Maude smiled. “It will pass in a few days; it always does.” She reached up and stopped Winnie’s ministrations to her hair. “Promise me you’ll spend time with Pastor Luke. Don’t ignore him any longer.”

“I’m not ignoring him.” Winnie stated. “I’ve been busy taking care of you.”

“I think you’re afraid he’ll kiss you again.”

Winnie blushed and brushed at her hair again. “I’m afraid of no such thing. In fact, I miss spending time with Luke.”

Maude smiled. “Good.”

A knock at the door downstairs drew their attention. “I’d best go see who it is,” Winnie said as she set down the brush. When she got downstairs
, she quickly smoothed her dress and pinched her cheeks, just in case. A good thing, too, for when she opened the door, a strikingly-handsome Luke Adams was standing on the other side. If she thought he was handsome before, he was downright striking now. He’d not shaved in a few days, and he was dressed in everyday clothes, not the clothes he wore as a preacher.  His disheveled look was downright mouthwatering. Winnie took a step back and stumbled.

Luke lunged for her, caught her around the waist, and pulled her against himself to right her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

Winnie’s face went pink with embarrassment. “Of course
; all except my pride. I don’t seem to be able to walk.”

“You weren’t walking, unless walking backward is a new thing.”

“I don’t know what happened …” her voice trailed off as she noticed he still held her. His scent was intoxicating, and she had to fight to keep her breathing under control. Never had she been so attracted to a man.

He stood on one foot as he closed the door with his other. It shut, the sound causing Winnie to flinch in his arms. “Nervous?”

“Not at all.”

He still didn’t
relinquish his hold. Instead, he looked down at her with a devilish grin; then, just as quickly, it was gone. “I hope Mrs. Smythe is doing better,” he said, and released her.

Winnie tried to get her breath back. She seemed to have lost it in his arms. She swallowed hard and gaped at him. He smiled back, looking quite proud of himself for some reason. She patted her hair, a nervous reaction, and swallowed again. “She told me just a little while ago
that this happens to her every summer. I’m glad; that means her condition is not as bad as I first thought.”

“You’re thinking of your mother, aren’t you?” he asked.

Winnie nodded and took a deep breath. Not because she feared her stutter might kick in, but because he was still standing quite close. She took another few steps back before she turned toward the staircase. “Would you like to see her?”

“Yes, of course.
That’s why I’m here.”

She took another deep breath, and went up the stairs. S
he could feel his eyes on her as they went, and sensed when he pulled his gaze from her backside, and focused on Maude. What an odd feeling … How was such a thing possible?

“Pastor Luke
; how good of you to come see me,” Maude said, her voice a rasp. “I’m afraid I can’t talk much, though. Voice is plumb shot from all this coughing.”

“She sounded better a little while ago,” Winnie told him. “But she’s right
; her voice gives out quickly.”

“I won’t stay long
,” he said. “Winnie tells me this happens annually.”

Maude smiled at his personal use of Winnie’s name, and winked at her. Sick as she was, the woman was still playing matchmaker. “Yes
; which means I should be much better in a few days. When I start to lose my voice, it means I’m on the mend.”

“Really?” he said with a smile. “You sound like you’re … well …”

“Dying?” she finished for him.

Luke glanced to
ward Winnie, a wide grin on his face, then back to Maude. “Quite frankly, yes.”

The three of them laughed at his remark until Maude started coughing. Winnie hurried to a dresser where a glass of water sat, grabbed it, and handed it to her. Maude drank, her coughing stilled, and handed it back. “Thank you, dear.”

Winnie gave her a single nod, and set the glass by her bedside. “You should rest now. I’ll bring lunch up in a couple of hours.”

“Rememb
er what I told you earlier. Get some work done here if you like.”

“Work?” Luke asked.

“For the celebration,” Winnie explained. “She thought we might be able to go over a few things, so I wouldn’t have to leave the house, but I told her it…”

“That’s a splendid idea,” he interjected. “Why didn’t I think of it?”

  Maude smiled. “Go on, then.”

Luke stood. “I’ll see you again before I leave.
Oh, and Mrs. Vander told me she’ll be by later. She said she was making supper for you.”

“Betsy
, you mean. Mercy can’t cook to save her life,” Maude told them with a smile.

“Rest now
; we’ll be back soon,” Winnie said, and then she and Luke left the room.

Downstairs, Winnie made
some tea and decided that the best place to work would be the kitchen table. Luke pulled a few lists out of his pants pocket, unfolded them, and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. “Sorry; these got a little wet the other day.”

Winnie poured tea into two cups and set them on the table. “How did that happen?”

Luke gave her a flat look. “Jasper Brock.”

Winnie giggled. “What did he do?”

“He threw a bucket of water at his sister, Eva, and missed.”

“Oh
, dear me! Was this at the church?”

“No
; at the Brocks’ home.”

Winnie sat
. “You were at the Brocks?”

“Yes
; while you’ve been taking care of Mrs. Smythe, Eva and I have been working on the Fourth of July celebration. I happened to be standing in the way when dear, sweet, Jasper tried to drench his sister.”

Winnie slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh but
, at the same time, felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy hit. She’d not heard from nor seen him since Maude fell ill, and now she knew why. He wasn’t struggling with the parade plans or anything else, from the sounds of it. In fact, it sounded like he had all the help he needed. She straightened in her chair. “What’s on the list?”

“One is a list of everything we’ve accomplished so far. The other is everything that still needs to be done. Eva made them up for me the other day.” He handed her one. “I don’t
suppose you’d have time for this. If not, I understand.”
“No, I’ll be able to help again. Maude sounds much worse than she is. But she’s weak.”

“All the more reason she needs you here.”

  Winnie gave him a half-smile, and then studied the sheets of paper. “Which is which?”

“This one,” he said pointing to the shorter of the two
lists. “Is what we’ve already accomplished.”

She stared at it. “Store
the fireworks, speak with Mayor Vander about giving his speech, procure tables and chairs for bandstand and picnic, decide on theme,” she glanced up at him and smiled. “Place celebration announcement in The Independence Gazette and, last but not least, inform Mrs. Brock that she may
not
give a speech.” She looked up at Luke, and laughed. “Oh, do I want to know?”

Luke
shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

She smiled, and
then looked at the second list. “There’s so much left to do,” she said as she perused the individual items. “What do you want me to do?”

“We can split it up. You take one half, and Eva and I can do the other.”

A cold chill settled over Winnie.
Eva and I?
“Oh, I see. Ah …” she swallowed hard. “Which would you like me to handle?”

“I thought since Eva knows more people in town, she could be in charge of making the rest of the food arrangements. Mrs. Vander is in charge of the pie-eating contest.”

“Yes, I know,” she said, staring blankly at the list.

“You can see
about getting a group together to pick flowers to use for decorations. That should workout well. Mrs. Smythe should be feeling much better by then. You won’t have to worry about leaving her.”

Winnie shook her head. “No, I won’t.”

“Eva and I can handle everything else. Between the three of us, it should come together nicely.”

She fought against a shiver and nodded. “Yes
; sounds fine.” She looked at him. “I’ll get started right away.”

“No rush
; just keep taking care of Mrs. Smythe. I know you’ve been a blessing to her these past few days.”

Winnie smiled. “It’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” He studied her, and she prayed
that the tears stinging the backs of her eyes would remain unshed. 

So, she’d been replaced by Eva over the last few days and, obviously, he liked working with her. Fine. Eva was a sweet, kind, girl, and Winnie wasn’t going to deny her any sort of chance at happiness. If Eva and Luke were working well together, then she needed to leave them be, and do what she could to take care of Maude. “Is this everything?” she asked.

“Yes,
I hope this doesn’t keep you from your duties here.”

“Not at all
, I can handle both.”

“Glad to hear it. I … I guess I should be going then.”

“Yes, I guess you should.” She let her eyes roam over his face, memorizing the fine lines and strong, stubble-covered jaw. “Will you be seeing Eva today?”

“Yes
, we’re meeting in just a little while.”

Winnie nodded. “Give her my best.”

  He stared at her a moment, and stood. “I will. I’m sure she’ll be by at some point to see how Mrs. Smythe is doing. I’ll let her know she’s well enough for visitors now.”

Winnie also stood. “I’m sure Maude would like that.”

“I’ll run up and say good-bye. I’ll ah … see you at the end of the week, then.”

Winnie stiffened. “The end of the week
?”

He shrugged. “I’m sure it will take you at least that long to get your half of the list done.”

She could only stare. He really
didn’t
want to work with her anymore. She’d be working alone, and not able to check in with him any time soon. Now she did shiver. He’d chosen Eva over her, and this was his way of letting her know. She swallowed hard and nodded, her smile forced. “Very well, then. I’ll do my best to get everything done.”