Falling In Love With Her Husband Read online

  Mrs. Coley appeared around the door. When she saw my stunned expression, she sighed and shook her head. “Mrs. Carson doesn’t know when to keep her big mouth shut.”

  “It’s a lie. He didn’t do it.”

  She took the jar of peaches out of my hand and gently put it on the shelf. “I know. Mrs. Carson has spread false rumors before. She’s not someone who can be trusted, and most of the people in town know that. Maybe it’s best if you went to comfort him. Men may not realize it, but sometimes they need our support.”

  I smiled and hugged her, grateful for her friendship. Then I shrugged into my coat and ran to see Todd at the bank. But he was already gone. I figured he was on his way home to tell me what happened.

  Barbara appeared with her horse and carryall. Her cheeks were red with anger. “Some people have too much time on their hands,” she commented. “Have you heard about Todd?”

  “Yes.” I climbed in next to her. Word had already reached Barbara? Was there anyone in town who didn’t know? I pulled my coat tightly around me, suddenly feeling exposed.

  “That Mrs. Carson makes me so mad! Apparently, she was there at the bank when Todd came out of the owner’s office, and someone at the bank told her what happened.”

  My jaw dropped. No one told me anything but Mrs. Carson got the whole story? “Do you know who told her?”

  “She won’t say. Isn’t that funny? Mrs. Busybody blabs everyone else’s business but she never reveals her source. Well, John and I will stick up for Todd. We’ll set them straight.”

  As she continued to talk, I wondered how Todd was taking this. Was he angry, sad or relieved to be rid of his job? How could I comfort him when I had never comforted him before? Did I ever try to comfort anyone?

  As soon as she paused in her monologue, I asked her for tips on being supportive. I breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t laugh at me.

  “Listen to him and let him know you are there for him,” she replied. “Really, that’s all you can do.”

  I hugged her. “Thank you.”

  I suppressed my anxiety. Could I help him through this? I was surprised at how fast my heart was pounding. I knew Todd all of my life, so why was I nervous? Saying good-bye to Barbara, I walked around the house and to the barn. Patches of snow decorated the grass. I hardly noticed the beautiful landscape. I took a deep breath then entered the barn.

  Todd was chopping wood. The axe slammed through the wood with so much force, I jumped. Todd wasn’t just mad. He was furious. Maybe this wasn’t a good time to approach him. I quickly turned to leave.

  He stopped chopping. “You heard.” It was a simple statement but I could hear him fighting back his anger.

  I took a deep breath as I walked to him. “I think the whole town’s heard, but I know you’re innocent.”

  He dropped his axe and held me close to him. “As long as you believe me, I don’t care what the rest of the town thinks.”

  “Do you have any idea who started this whole thing?”

  “I have a suspicion but I can’t prove it. I can’t believe my boss thought I’d steal money, especially after all the overtime I put in.” He shook his head in exasperation.

  I rested my head against his shoulder, wondering if he took as much comfort in my embrace as I took in his. “What happened at the bank?”

  “I was counting money at my desk when my boss told me to go to his office. Mr. Richard is usually a mild-mannered man, but he nearly lost his temper when he told me he discovered my bookkeeping was totaled incorrectly. I was short by five dollars. I told him I didn’t know how that was possible but he didn’t believe me. Since the other employees have worked there for at least two years, he decided that I had to be the one who took the money. Then, to top it all off, he had me search my desk. There was fifty cents in a place where it shouldn’t have been. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was a piece of paper with the combination to the safe written on it.”

  “Someone must have made you look guilty,” I said.

  “I agree. That’s the only explanation for it. It doesn’t matter now though. Mr. Richard said he hated to let me go but didn’t know what else to do. I don’t know what to do. Who’s going to hire me? And we can’t afford to take that trip to see your parents.”

  “We’ll make it through. And speaking of my parents, they sent me a letter. They plan to visit for Christmas.”

  “Your parents wrote you? How did they find out where we are?”

  I took the letter out of my pocket and handed it to him. “I told them I was going to North Dakota, and they narrowed it down from there.”

  After he read the letter, he gave it back to me. “They’re wonderful people.”

  I grinned. “Did you notice that they asked how their new son is doing?”

  He smiled and nodded.

  I sighed. “Your parents will come around. When we save up the money, we can go visit them. We don’t need to go to Virginia as soon as I wanted. I can wait. But we can go when you want to.”

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up the axe and said he needed to be alone. I nodded and went back to the house.

  I picked up the Bible and began to read it. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up as the sun was setting. I blinked a few times as I recalled the day’s events. Todd’s chopping wood assured me it hadn’t been a dream.

  I quickly put on my coat, gloves and hat. Why had he stayed outside for so long? I entered the barn and frowned when I saw he didn’t have on his gloves or coat.

  I shivered in the cold weather. “Todd, you’re going to get sick if you keep this up. Will you please come into the house?”

  He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I need to chop more wood.”

  I shook my head in disbelief at the piles of wood he had already chopped. “If you keep this up, there won’t be any more trees on our land. We have enough wood to last us the entire winter.”

  He sighed heavily and sat on the ground. “I keep wondering how Mr. Richard could believe I stole that money. I thought he knew me better than that.”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I sat beside him and put my head on his shoulder. I reached for his hands, which were red from being cold, and rubbed my gloved hands over them. He knew better than to stay outside for so long when he was underdressed. Didn’t he know I worried about him?

  “You’re wonderful, Ann.”

  “It will work out, Todd. I know you’ll find another job. Maybe you’ll find something you enjoy.”

  He remained silent while I continued to rub his cold hands.

  “Is it alright if my parents stay in the guest bedroom? They mentioned wanting to stay in a motel, but I would like to have them here.”

  “That is fine.”

  “Thank you.” I gulped the nervous lump in my throat as I considered how to make my confession. I wasn’t sure when the feelings developed but going through this ordeal with him made me aware of them. It was time I told him what was in my heart. “I do appreciate you. I know I don’t say it much, if at all. The feelings I have for you are still new. I didn’t feel this way with Kent. It’s better with you.”

  I stared at our hands, and despite the frigid air, my cheeks flushed with warmth. I could tell he was looking at me, which made me even more nervous.

  “Sometimes,” I continued in a whisper, “I get cold at night. I...” I paused, wondering how I could be bold while being discrete. I was ready to consummate the marriage but wasn’t sure how to come out and say it. “It would be nice to feel warm.”

  “Do you need more firewood?”

  I cleared my throat. “Well, I was hoping you’d come by my room.” My heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears. This was harder than I thought it would be.

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll start a fire in your room in the afternoon so by the time you’re ready for bed, it’ll be warm. I’ll even add more wood before you go to sleep.”

  “Oh.” I was surprised by how disappointed I felt.

  “Is there somet
hing else?”

  I shrugged. I didn’t have the courage to come out and say it. “No. I suppose not.” I let go of his hands and looked at him. “Will you please come into the warm house before you get sick?”

  I thought he was going to argue again, but he stood up and grabbed his gloves and coat. I took the lantern. We walked side by side into the house.

  “You’re so cold,” I commented when I noticed how red his face was. I set the lantern on the desk in the parlor. “I want you to lie down on the couch in front of the fireplace. I’ll get some blankets and a pillow so you can warm up while I make dinner.”

  I took his coat and gloves and went upstairs before he could argue. By the time I returned, he was lying down. I put the blankets over him and placed the pillow under his head. The fire felt nice and warm.

  “There. Now I order you to relax. If you need someone to talk to, just say my name,” I said.

  As I began walking away, he reached for my hand.

  Surprised, I turned to him.

  “You’re my strength,” he softly remarked.

  I knelt in front of him. Despite my beating heart, I allowed myself to follow my instinct. I leaned over and kissed him. It was a simple kiss but it filled my heart with a new sense of joy I hadn’t experienced before.

  We smiled at each other for a moment.

  “Everything will work out,” I whispered.

  Then I went to cook dinner.

  After I finished dinner, Barbara, John and their children came over with an apple pie. We spent the rest of the evening just talking as the children played games. From the look on Todd’s face, I knew he was grateful for our support.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Todd’s Point of View

  To my surprise, I didn’t get sick. I fully expected to after staying out in the cold for so long, but it was Ann who got sick. It reminded me of the time when I visited her when she was seventeen. Unlike that time, we didn’t have Ginny watching everything we did. I didn’t miss the presence of servants, and I found it refreshing to do something for Ann for a change. I never appreciated all her work around the house until I had to do it myself. I didn’t mind doing it since it meant she could get her much needed rest. She was still sick on Sunday, so I went to church without her. The seat beside me felt empty even though Calvin sat next to me. I missed her.

  After the service, I waited for Barbara, Bruce and Molly to leave to talk to one of her friends. Usually, Ann would run off with her too. Calvin liked to hang around his father and me. I think it made him feel like a grown up. I grinned as Calvin followed John and me out of the church. The air was cool but still refreshing enough to enjoy.

  I waited until we were out of earshot of anyone else and said, “I need your advice on women.” It was the first time I ever came to him with such a concern.

  “I’m still figuring them out myself, but I’ll do what I can. What’s the problem?” John asked.

  “It’s not actually a problem. I was wondering what you do when you want to show Barbara you love her?”

  “I have a box that I keep things in for Barbara. Whenever we have a fight or if I forget an important date or if it’s just the kind of day when a little surprise gift is in order, I take an item out and give it to her. I don’t know what she wants, to be honest, so I have Calvin go along with her to town.”

  “I buy things that Mother says she likes when I’m in town with her,” Calvin explained. “That way we know she’ll like it.”

  “He’s my eyes and ears when I’m not around.” John grinned at him. “This way I don’t have to wonder what she likes. I already know.”

  “Very clever.”

  “Mrs. Brothers likes a gold ring in the mercantile,” Calvin said. “She told Mother that she didn’t want to spend the money on it since she needed food more.”

  “It would make a nice wedding ring,” John added. “I think every woman wants a wedding ring. It’s a symbol of your love for her.”

  “She also said she liked the kitchen towels with snowmen sewed on them,” Calvin continued, obviously enjoying his role as a spy.

  I chuckled. Who knew kids could be so resourceful?

  “Thank you, John. And thank you, Calvin.”

  ***

  The next day, I went to the Coley mercantile and walked to the counter.

  Mrs. Coley glanced up from her jewelry display.

  At least I found the ring.

  “May I help you, Mr. Brothers?” she warmly asked.

  “I would like to purchase a couple of items for my wife. Calvin Russell told me she mentioned liking them, so I want them to be a surprise.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Oh how delightful! She will be pleased. What did the boy tell you she liked?”

  “He mentioned a gold ring.”

  She nodded and took out her rings. “You’re in luck. The merchant who usually comes to buy the jewelry was delayed, so it’s still here.” She took the ring out that Calvin mentioned and handed it to me. “What do you think?”

  “I think it would be nice to give her a wedding ring. I wasn’t able to buy her one when we got married.”

  “What a wonderful Christmas gift.”

  “Does it fit her finger?” I looked at the price tag and decided I could afford it if I took some money out of my savings account.

  “Yes. Ann couldn’t resist trying it on. It’s very pretty.”

  “Calvin also mentioned some kitchen towels decorated with snowmen.”

  She nodded. “One of the women in town made them. She just brought in a matching washcloth this morning. Would you like to see them?”

  “Yes.”

  She led me to an aisle filled with various kitchen cloths and decorations. I didn’t know a woman could do so much for a kitchen. She held up the complete set of items. “They look like friendly snowmen. Mrs. Grant always does a lovely job.”

  Again, I checked the price tags.

  “You can get the entire set for half price,” she said.

  I blinked in surprise.

  “Your wife does more than her share to help me whenever I need someone to fill in for me. I tried to give her this set at the discounted price, but she wouldn’t take it. I hope you will.”

  “Is there anything else you think I should give her?” It seemed that Calvin and Mrs. Coley knew Ann better than I did.

  “There is something a woman always likes but never tells a man she wants. I’m not saying that Ann has ever told me this. It’s just something I know a woman likes since I am a woman.” She handed me a card that had a red rose painted on it. The edge of the card was covered with dark pink lace. “My suggestion, and you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to, is to write one thing you appreciate about her and set this card with the snowmen cloth set on the kitchen table after she goes to bed tonight. I always like surprises, and Ann seems to like them too.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Coley. I’ll take them.”

  She nodded. “Barbara told me that Ann is sick. When do you think Ann will be able to come back to help me?”

  I wondered what she meant by ‘helping’ her but decided I would ask Ann later. “She’s almost better now. I’ll let you know what she tells me.”

  After I purchased the items, I walked down the main street. It felt odd carrying a bag full of items that only a woman would want, but John had mentioned that Mr. Fields was looking for help with fixing some tractors. “He’s only looking for someone to work until spring, and I mentioned your name to him. He said he would be interested in talking to you,” he had told me.

  Mr. Fields’ Tractor store wasn’t too far from the mercantile, so I didn’t have far to walk. I ignored the looks several people threw my way. I knew it would take time for the gossip to die down. It didn’t bother me since the people I cared about knew I was innocent. I entered Mr. Fields’ store.

  One of his grown sons came out from the backroom as soon as he heard the front bell ring on the door. “Good morning, Mr. Brothers. Mr. Russell said we should
expect you to come by today.” He shook my hand.

  “Good morning,” I returned, surprised by his warm welcome.

  I had expected there to be some hesitation on his part, given my sudden reputation in town.

  “I’ll tell my father you’re here.” He motioned to the room on my right. “Have a seat in his office.”

  “You trust me?” I tried not to sound guilty as I said it.

  “You’re a friend of John Russell. That’s good enough for us.”

  I nodded and went to the office. No one was in it. It was small but comfortable. There were two wooden chairs in front of a small wooden desk. A wooden chair behind the desk had been pushed back, so apparently, Mr. Fields had been sitting there earlier and had to leave in a hurry. There were stacks of orders for tractor parts neatly piled on the desk next to a cup holding pencils. Mr. Fields was a neater person than Mr. Richard was. I set the bag down next to me and sat in one of the chairs. I adjusted my tie so it didn’t feel so tight around my neck. On the wall was a calendar with appointments written on it.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Mr. Fields said as he entered the office.

  I quickly stood up and shook his hand. I liked him right away. He was in his 50s but seemed younger. “Hello, Mr. Fields. I wasn’t here long.”

  “So, John tells me you are looking for work and would prefer something that involves farming,” he stated. He sat on the edge of his desk.

  I sat back down in the chair. “Yes, that’s right. I plan to start farming next spring.”

  “You bought Mr. Martin’s old place?”

  I nodded. “He left it in excellent condition.”

  “He was a good man. He still is, I suppose. He moved to Fargo to be near his grown children. I believe he was good friends with Robert and Patricia Dawson. He mentioned that you were a good friend of their nephew. Alex. Isn’t that his name?”

  “Yes. We grew up together in Virginia.”