Redemption (9 page)

“Thank you,” she said. There were no other words to express her appreciation for his good wishes, and for the courage it took to speak so honestly about his brother. “I think I’m going to like having a brother, Cord.” She stepped closer to him and grasped his hand. “Rachel has already named me as her sister. I’d like to think I can be a sister to you, too.”

He reached for her, his arm circling her shoulders, and dipped his head to press a kiss against her cheek. “I’d like that,” She thought his voice sounded deeper, choked up even, and then he cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, I’m planning on it.”

J
AKE SAT ON THE PORCH
as Alicia and Jason worked on the gate. Shiny new brass screws held the hinges in place. The gate was heavy and Alicia stood by, holding it at the right height until the boy properly tightened the screws. The job completed, Jason reached out, pushing the gate to and fro as he laughed aloud in triumph.

“Did’ja see what we did, Pa?” he called out to where Jake sat watching. His pride was almost palpable, Alicia thought.

“Why don’t you take care of the tools while I pick up the old hinges and make sure we didn’t leave any screws lying around,” she told Jason.

Agreeably, he did as she asked, then paused to speak to his father for a moment. The boy’s delight was almost enough in itself to make this marriage worthwhile, Alicia thought. Cord might have high expectations from their arrangement, but Alicia would be content to see Jason blossom, would be happy to watch Jake perhaps regain the sort of life he’d once had.

But change would come slowly, she reminded herself. Jake was not a man to be rushed, and he would not think twice about thwarting her plans should he not agree with them. She would be dealing with a man not easily managed.

“Are you going to stay for supper?” Jake called. He watched her as she approached the porch, his gaze touching her from head to toe, a realization that made her uncomfortable in the extreme. Did he see a woman too old, too tall and too plain to find a husband?

“Thank you, I think I might,” she said decisively. “What can I fix? Do you have any ideas?”

“Rachel sent us some fish she canned last summer. How about some fried fish cakes?”

“I can do that,” Alicia said. “I’ll just bone it first. Nothing worse than biting into a piece of fish and finding a bone stabbing you.”

“I believe you’ll come in right handy, ma’am,” Jake said, exaggerating the droll words he spoke. He rolled to the door and opened it wide, allowing her to walk past him into the house. She went directly to the kitchen, where she deposited the old hinges and screws in the trash bin, then washed up at the sink.

He watched her intently as she moved about, his fingers steepled against his mouth, elbows propped on the chair arms. “What?” She stopped abruptly halfway to the pantry and turned to face him. “What on earth do you find so fascinating about me, Jake? I feel like you’re trying to dissect me, piece by piece.”

He shook his head. “Not at all,” he said, denying her claim. “I merely find you graceful in whatever you do. You move so smoothly, especially—” He broke off and frowned, and she completed his sentence for him.

“Especially for such a big woman?” Her smile was strained and she felt discomfort sweep through her at the knowledge that she was not what he would have chosen for a wife, if circumstances had been different.

Jake grinned then. “You are not a petite woman, Alicia. There’s no getting around that. But you are far from plain. What matters is that you make me feel at
ease with you. I don’t have to fear that my opinions will offend you. You’re not afraid of me, and I like that.

“Besides, believe me or not, I find you feminine in the extreme.” His gaze moved to her bosom and she felt heat rise to her flesh at the realization that he inspected her so blatantly.

She turned away and he called her name. “Alicia. Please look at me. I want you to know that I admire you for taking on such a task. Facing the future with Jason and me will not be easy for you. I’m not a simple man. You know that already. I’m blunt and I’m sure you’ll think more than once that I’m downright obnoxious.”

She turned her head and nodded. “Well, you’ve got that right.”

“I have no legs, Alicia. That makes me about half a man. If you can accept the fact that your husband is a man who will never walk under his own power, ever again, then I can accept gladly the fact that my wife is a woman of great strength and stamina, a woman with a sense of honor that will make me proud to claim her as my wife.

“I won’t mention this again since it makes you uncomfortable, but I think you need to know my feelings. If I wish to look at you and admire the woman you are, please don’t take offense.”

She turned and bustled off to the pantry without a word. Hot tears burned behind her eyelids but she refused
to shed them. Not for the world would she make Jake think he’d hurt her feelings, for the opposite was true. He’d made her proud of who she was, made her realize that she had something to offer him that he was pleased to accept.

Hiding in the pantry was not the thing to do, she decided. Locating the jar of fish on the shelf, she returned to the kitchen and placed the Mason jar on the counter. Then she turned to where he waited, his expression anxious, which struck her as unusual for Jake. He was a man who spoke his mind without fear or favor.

“I need to say thank-you, Jake,” she told him, hoping against hope that the tears would not escape. “I think we’ll get along one way or another. I’ll try not to invade your privacy too much, but I expect one thing from you that might not be to your liking.”

He lifted an eyebrow in question.

“I want you to stand behind me when I make attempts to change Jason’s habits. I’m going to set some rules in place and he needs to know that his father will not side against me in this.”

“What sort of rules? Rules of behavior? I told you his manners were atrocious already. I won’t argue with that.”

“I want to sit down with the both of you one evening next week and compile a list. I want your word that you’ll back me in this.”

“May I see your list first?” he asked, and she thought she noted a gleam of leashed anger in his eyes.

Perhaps she’d run roughshod over his pride in his son, she thought. Jake was a good father, but had neglected the boy’s behavior. It was time to call a halt.

“Yes,” she said. “Of course you can. I’ll show it to you before we call Jason in on the discussion.”

Jake nodded. “All right. That sounds fair.” His eyes narrowed a bit and he tapped the arm of his chair with his index finger. “I hope you aren’t planning on coming up with a list for my benefit, Alicia. I’m not sure I’m in the mood for being changed to your way of thinking.”

“Of course not,” she said vehemently, and behind her back she crossed her fingers.

T
HE WEDDING
was short and to the point. The minister spoke briefly about the sanctity of marriage and Alicia felt like squirming where she stood. That she and Jake would have no problem with the vow of purity was a given. He wasn’t about to trot off to the saloon to take up with one of the girls who plied their trade in the rooms over the bar. And heaven knew that she had no inclination even to flirt with any of the men of her acquaintance.

Jake would be enough for her to handle. But intimacy between them would only confuse the matter.

“With this ring I thee wed.” The words were familiar, but never had they applied to her, and Alicia felt a thrill that made her shiver as Jake took her hand and placed the ring they had chosen onto her left hand. He looked into her eyes as he spoke the vow, holding her hand even after the ring was in place. Her fingers trembled in his grasp, and he clasped them more securely.

Then the minister spoke the final phrases that would make their marriage legal. “Since Jacob and Alicia have repeated their vows…” His voice intoned the solemn words and Alicia knew a moment of panic.

In her innermost being she recognized the wisdom of this union. And yet, she felt she was walking into a chasm, feeling her way, without a light to guide her and no path marked for her journey.

“I now pronounce that they are man and wife…” Jake’s fingers tightened again and she returned the pressure, her other hand occupied with holding the small bouquet of wildflowers Rachel and Cord had brought to her for this occasion.

The young minister smiled at Jake. “You may kiss your bride, Mr. McPherson.”

Surely not
. She looked down into Jake’s gaze, her panic sending color to her cheeks. But it seemed that he felt no such trepidation for he tugged her closer, and his other arm reached up to draw her down within reach of his lips.

She obeyed his unspoken command, for surely it was more than a request. He was leaving her no choice, she thought, and closed her eyes. He obviously had more experience in this endeavor than she, and so she allowed him to take the lead.

His lips were warm against hers, his mouth open just a bit, so that she knew the scent of his breath. She thought a small trace of spirits clung to it, and wondered if he’d had to fortify himself for the ceremony. His lips moved against hers, brushing gently in a warm, welcoming gesture, and then he released her and she stood erect once more.

Cord was reaching for Jake’s hand, even as Rachel hugged Alicia tightly. Tears were flowing in abundance and Rachel wiped her eyes even as she smiled. “I always cry at weddings,” she explained. “And this one is special. Welcome to the family, Alicia. I’m so glad my brother-in-law had the good sense to marry you.”

“That was going to be my line,” Cord said with a laugh. He released Jake’s hand and turned to Alicia. “Hello there, sister,” he said quietly, his gaze warm as he met hers. He bent to her, kissing her forehead, then her cheek, and his arms enclosed her in a gentle embrace.

With that Melody, Matthew and Jason descended on them and Alicia was greeted by Melody, who announced that she was going to be the most envied girl in school. Jason grinned, his eyes sparkling with delight,
then stood as close to Alicia as he could get, as if he staked a claim on her. “I’ve got a new mother,” he said proudly. And then frowned.

“What am I supposed to call you?” he asked her.

“Whatever you like,” she said warmly. She glanced at Jake and, taking note of the tightening of his mouth at Jason’s words, she backtracked. “Maybe Miss Alicia would be best until you decide that for yourself.”

Jason’s smile broadened. “All right. I can do that.”

The dining room table was opened to its fullest length. With the addition of two leaves it held the entire group, including the minister and his wife. Rachel would not hear of Alicia helping to serve and Melody lent a hand instead. The room was clean, aired only yesterday, with the draperies tied back and the sashes open to the fresh air.

Alicia had found tablecloths in the buffet drawer and had pressed one for the occasion. Fold lines had almost seemed permanent, but she used a damp cloth and managed to leave them without wrinkles. Now she looked down the length of the table and knew a moment of happiness so sharp it almost took her breath.

To think that only a month ago she had not known Jake McPherson, had only heard bits and pieces about him from the town gossips, and had grieved over the child who so obviously needed a parent’s love and
guidance. Now she had taken her place in this home and was partially responsible for the boy.

Cord lifted his glass filled with lemonade and offered a toast to the couple. His words were few, his message clear. “Joy and long life to you both, and happiness within the walls of your home.” With a grin in Jake’s direction, he added a final thought. “You have a wonderful bride, brother. I’m not sure you’re good enough for her, but she seems to think you are, and that’s all that matters.”

Jake raised his glass and bowed his head a bit, as if he received the toast with pleasure. “I agree, totally,” he said, and took a long swallow. He was handsome, Alicia thought, in a white shirt that had been starched and ironed. His suit fit him well, with no need of padding over his wide shoulders, and he’d left the lap robe in his room, eschewing it for the trousers that were pinned in place beneath the remaining lengths of his lower limbs.

He’d made special note of her new dress and his gaze had been admiring as she told him the particulars of Rachel’s work. “She did a nice job,” he’d said. “You look just like a bride should.”

They went to the dining room and gathered around the long table. The meal was tasty, and yet Alicia barely noted the food that went into her mouth. The three children ate quickly, anxious to be excused from
the table. They left to go off and play with admonitions from Rachel to keep their clothes clean for church on Sunday.

“You’re no fun,” Cord told her in an undertone. “How are two boys supposed to have a good time and stay clean while they’re doing it?”

She shot him a long glance. “You aren’t the one who had to iron Matthew’s white shirt and scrub the grime out of his trousers.”

“Enough said,” Cord murmured, capitulating without an argument.

Within an hour the minister and his wife were gone, Rachel and Alicia were cleaning up in the kitchen, and the brothers were tugging at the dining room table, Jake in his chair at the far end, so that Cord could remove the leaves. “You want this tablecloth out here?” he asked, carrying it into the kitchen.

“Put it in the pantry,” Alicia told him. “I’ll send it to be washed tomorrow with the rest of the laundry.”

“You know, I could almost envy you,” Rachel said, her mouth turning down. “Imagine the luxury of having someone else scrubbing out your clothes.”

“It’s either that or I’ll have to do it in the evenings and hang them before I go to school the next morning,” Alicia said with a shrug. “Jake said that since his wash lady has been doing it for three years, it wouldn’t be
fair to remove her source of income just because he’d gained a wife.”

“That makes sense to me,” Rachel agreed.

Alicia leaned closer. “I’ve never been fond of a scrub board, anyway.”

“Are you about ready to get these young’ uns home?” Cord asked, looking out into the yard where the two boys were kneeling in the dirt, shooting marbles. He winced. “You’ll be grumbling tomorrow, Rae, when you get a look at Matthew’s trousers.”