Falling In Love With Her Husband Page 17

  Finally, I lost my temper. I glanced at the door and noticed that the teacher was still talking to a parent. Ignoring Todd and Alex’s snickers, I stood up and walked to the jar of sand by the window. It was part of our science lesson, but I found a better use for it. By now, our entire class was watching me. No one alerted the teacher. They wanted to see what I would do. Since Alex and Todd sat next to each other, it was easy to get both of them at once. I took the lid off the jar and dumped the sand on their heads.

  They jumped up and screamed. The rest of the class laughed at the hysterical scene.

  “Ann!”

  I looked up in time to see the teacher rushing to me. “What are you doing?” She shook her head in disbelief. “What got into you?”

  “They keep throwing pebbles in my hair,” I replied, my voice shaking since I wasn’t used to getting in trouble.

  Todd and Alex were frantically trying to shake the sand off of their bodies.

  “Todd and Alex, you may go outside. Ann, you are going to clean this mess and then put the dunce cap on at the front of the room until I tell you to take it off.”

  “Yes, Miss Hampton.”

  Even though I got in trouble, it was worth it. They never threw anything else in my hair again. In fact, they stopped throwing pebbles in the other girls’ hair too. I was a hero to those girls that year.

  Alex also liked to dare Todd to do disgusting things. I recalled a time during lunch hour when we were twelve. Alex challenged Todd to eat a plate of bugs. As appalling as it was, I joined the other students. There was something mesmerizing about someone eating insects.

  Todd seemed hesitant. “You eat them,” he said as he pushed the plate to Alex.

  “I challenged you first. You can’t back out now,” Alex replied. He wore that satisfied smirk that drove me crazy.

  “You don’t have to do it,” I argued. “Alex is a coward. That’s why he won’t do it. Just tell him no.”

  Alex nodded. “Yes, you could do that.”

  I frowned. I didn’t like the tone in his voice. He was up to something.

  “Or, you could kiss Ann.” He grinned. “Apparently, you need your mommy to take care of you.”

  A couple of girls giggled and some boys told Todd to eat the bugs.

  Todd took a deep breath. “I’ll eat the bugs.”

  The boys cheered. The girls, including me, just commented on how gross it was. I was secretly relieved to get the focus off of me, and another part of me was fascinated that Todd could sit there so calmly while he ate those bugs. Where did he get the strength? Though he didn’t complain about a stomachache, I felt nauseous for the rest of the day.

  Todd wasn’t always following Alex’s instructions. There were times when he was a model student. It helped when his other friends, Jack and Simon, were around. When we were thirteen, a snake got into the classroom. Our teacher, an elderly woman, was terrified. Even Alex wouldn’t get out of his chair. Todd, Jack and Simon volunteered to corner the snake. Jack took an empty bag while Todd and Simon chased the snake until it slithered into the bag. Jack immediately ran outside to dump it out of the bag. We cheered for the brave three boys when Jack returned.

  Breaking out of my thoughts, I saw another picture of the class Todd and I were in. It was taken last year right before Christmas. I was standing next to Jennifer and Debbie. I looked happy in my pile of seven petticoats and restricting corset. I shook my head. I didn’t miss that part of wearing a dress. My dress in the picture was gorgeous, but it would never last on the farm. Todd stood at the end of the line. He was attractive in his dark suit. It was hard for me to think of him in a suit anymore. He wore a suit when he worked at the bank, but as soon as he got fired, he started wearing denim pants and cotton shirts. No one would have guessed he was planning to move out to North Dakota. I sighed. Even back then, he loved me.

  My eyes fell on Rebecca who stood next to Debbie. Rebecca wore a big smile. Sympathy welled in my heart. Though I wouldn’t have imagined she engaged in improper activities, I felt sorry for her. She must have loved Kent. I shut the album in disgust. He should have married her. It was the least he could have done after dishonoring her.

  A light tapping on my door interrupted my thoughts. Startled, I looked up and saw Todd. His cheeks were red from being out in the cold.

  “Do you need something?” I asked and stood up.

  “No. I’m fine. Your father is reading downstairs. I wanted to talk to you, but I wanted to wait until everything settled down.”

  My heart skipped a beat. From the way he shyly smiled, I assumed this was going to be a good talk. “Please, come in.”

  When he walked over to me, his eyes fell on the photo album. “I didn’t know you brought some pictures with you.”

  “Oh. I didn’t. My mother did. Would you like to look at them?”

  He nodded and I handed the album to him. “Will you sit next to me?”

  He sat on the bed. I sat too, but I didn’t dare get close enough to touch him. Just being next to him was making me lightheaded.

  He opened the album and grinned. “Even as a baby, you were cute.”

  I groaned. “Those silly ruffles on all those dresses. It’s amazing I could crawl around.”

  “You remember that far back?”

  I smiled at his joke. “Of course not, silly.” I leaned over and turned the page.

  “Oh no! You have a baby picture of me?”

  “I like it.”

  He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. “You take better pictures than I do.”

  “It’s probably because I actually smile at the camera. You look serious in all of these pictures. Well, except for the one of you and Alex.” I showed him the picture I referred to.

  He chuckled. “I remember that day. After Alex nailed the rug to the parlor floor, we could no longer play unsupervised.”

  I shook my head. “That was awful.”

  He shrugged, but I suspected he hid a smile. He turned to another page. “I remember when Agnes brought home this picture.” He showed me the picture my parents had taken of me when I turned sixteen. “You were so beautiful I asked her if I could buy it from her. She wouldn’t sell it though. She said her friendship couldn’t be bought.”

  “Is that why she asked me for another one? I wondered why she insisted that she have two pictures of me.”

  “I still have that picture. It’s in my top dresser drawer.”

  I blushed at his confession.

  He turned to the final page in the album. It was our school class picture. “You always take good pictures,” he softly commented as he stared at my image. “It’s easy to see why Kent was taken with you.”

  The easygoing atmosphere instantly changed as tension settled between us. I waited for him to continue, unsure of where his thoughts were going and unsure if I wanted to know.

  He closed the album and turned to face me. “I want you to answer a question that’s been bothering me since last night. Please be honest even if you know it’s something I don’t want to hear.”

  I took a deep breath. “I will tell you the truth,” I slowly replied wondering if this was going to lead to more problems. I clasped my hands together in my lap and braced for the question.

  He looked down at the album. “When you saw Kent, did you want to go with him?”

  I considered his question. I had been so caught up in the anguish of what Todd assumed happened that I hadn’t thought through the actual encounter with Kent. “No.”

  He looked at me and I noted his relief.

  “I kept telling him that I wasn’t going to go with him but he didn’t listen to me.” I shivered as the realization of what happened came to my mind. “When he came toward me, I backed up but the shelves were behind me and I had nowhere to go. I felt trapped. I knew if you were there, he would back away. He just kept talking about all the things he could buy me and then he touched my cheek. That was when I ran to the door. I didn’t want him touching me. It al
l happened so fast. One minute he grabbed my arm, and the next thing I knew, he was kissing me. I was grateful you showed up when you did. I hate to think of what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

  “Ann, I’m sorry,” he whispered. He put his arms around me and held me close to him. He lightly kissed the top of my head. “I was a fool not to believe you.”

  “How could you have known any differently? You walked in at the wrong moment.”

  He was silent for a few moments. I could feel the beating of his heart. It was very comforting and relaxing. My anxiety over the events slowly faded away.

  “I didn’t think about it before,” he began, “but when I walked into the store, Mrs. Carson was on her way out. I think she was going to get help for you. When she saw me, she said I had to help you. When I saw you kissing Kent, I thought she meant that I had to stop you before you acted improperly. But now that I think about it, she looked scared. I believe she meant that I was to protect you. It all makes sense now.”

  He finally believes me!

  “Can you forgive me?”

  I laughed. “Of course.”

  After another moment passed, I stood up and showed him my jewelry box with the jewelry in it.

  “I would like to sell the jewels to Mrs. Coley. She has a couple of merchants who like to stop by and they particularly like these items.”

  “Ann, those are a part of your past. You don’t have to sell them. We’re doing fine.”

  He would never admit the truth, but maybe that was how men were when it came to money. “They’re doing me no good here. I don’t have any use for them.”

  He sighed. “They belong to you. Do with them what you will.”

  I nodded, glad to settle the matter. “I know my father has a dowry for me.”

  He stood. “Yes. He’ll be putting it in your own account at the bank when he can get into town.”

  I took his hands in mine and looked at him. “I want you to have it. As my husband, it is your right. My mind is made up and you won’t change it.”

  “Alright.”

  “I need to prepare a snack before dinner.”

  “I love you, Ann.”

  I smiled, relieved everything was going to be alright between us. “I love you too.” I left the room and turned around. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Do I have your permission to move my things in here?”

  “It is your bedroom too.” I blushed, surprised at my boldness.

  He grinned. “I’ll be down shortly.”

  I nodded and floated down the steps.

  ***

  As I prepared dinner later that day, Todd and my father finished shoveling the snowdrift. My mother watched me prepare dinner and offered her services to grab seasonings for me.

  She chuckled as she brought me some salt. “I feel lost in here.”

  “I know how you feel,” I agreed. “I was lost when I started cooking. Fortunately, I had Barbara to mentor me. She’s going to teach me to sew patches on clothes. I suppose she’ll eventually teach me to sew clothes too.”

  “Why, you are very self-sufficient.”

  “Actually, it’s very satisfying.”

  She nodded. “I can see that it would be.” She put the salt back on the shelf where I kept my seasonings. “I would like to meet Barbara. You’ve mentioned her several times in your letter.”

  “You’ll get your chance. I’m thinking of paying her a visit tomorrow if Todd and Father manage to get the horses and sleigh ready by then.”

  “I don’t mean to pry but I was wondering if things are settled down between you and Todd? You and Todd seemed happy this afternoon during the snack.”

  I blushed. “Yes. Thanks to you and Father.”

  “I don’t know what I did but I suppose your father had some words of wisdom. He’s good at helping others make amends.”

  We finished preparing the meal and called the men in to eat.

  “You have excellent timing,” my father said as he and Todd took off their coats and hats. I noted that Father had borrowed a pair of Todd’s comfortable overalls. “We just finished.”

  “Oh good,” Mother replied. “I was hoping to meet Barbara and John.”

  “John. He’s the farmer, isn’t he?”

  “Yes,” Todd answered.

  “I would be interested in hearing what he has to say. May I come along?”

  “I’m sure they won’t mind the company.”

  As we ate the meal, we discussed some funny incidents during Todd and my childhoods. We laughed so much, it was hard to finish eating, but we managed to get through it.

  After desert, Todd offered to help me clean the dishes. “You wash and I’ll dry.”

  Since my parents were in the parlor, we had some privacy. “My father adores you,” I confided as I handed him a clean plate to dry.

  “I like him too. Your parents aren’t stuck on societal expectations.”

  “They are to a degree, but when they insisted I behave a certain way, they made it clear that it wasn’t necessarily because they agreed with it but because it was proper given where we lived. Remember that dance you took me to?”

  “How can I forget? You threatened to run away if I didn’t take you to North Dakota with me.”

  I giggled. “Yes, I did. I didn’t want to go because of Kent and Rebecca. Though my parents understood and sympathized with me, they felt it best that I go because of how it would look to everyone if I didn’t. Then my mother made me wear that horrible pink dress.”

  “I liked that dress. It showed off your best features.”

  “It was awful. I could hardly breathe in it. It was so tight.”

  “I liked the fact that it was tight. You have great curves.”

  “Why, Todd. I didn’t think gentlemen noticed such things.”

  He raised his eyebrows innocently. “Is it wrong for a man to appreciate the finer qualities in a woman?”

  My cheeks grew warm. “No, it’s not. It’s not like women don’t notice some qualities men possess.”

  “Really?” He set his towel down on the counter and turned to me, interested in what I would say next. When I continued to wash the pan, he said, “Go on.”

  “Oh no. A lady never tells her secrets,” I teased.

  “Not even for a kiss?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He stood behind me and slowly ran his hands from my shoulders to my hips. “You are very appealing,” he whispered in a way that made me forget what I was doing. I held my breath expectantly as he kissed the side of my neck. “I can’t wait to see what treasures you’re hiding under those clothes.”

  “Todd, such speech is...is...” I searched for the word but for some reason, I couldn’t think straight.

  “Appropriate for a husband to tell his wife.”

  I considered his statement and realized he was right. It still made me blush to talk to him of such things. Determined to overcome my shyness, I turned to face him. I couldn’t gather enough courage to look at him directly so I stared at the clock on the wall behind him. “I’m glad you moved your belongings into my bedroom.”

  “Our bedroom.”

  He stood so close to me I could feel his breath on my cheek. I nodded weakly. My body was responding to his touch and words in a way that thrilled me. I realized that I longed to explore these new feelings. I noted the time on the clock and wished it was later in the evening so we could go upstairs.

  He lightly kissed my cheek. I turned my head so he would kiss me on the lips. His lips met mine and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the desire flowing through me. He deepened the kiss. I sensed his pleasure and passion for me as his hands continued their intimate search on my body.

  He gently pulled away, his breathing shallow. “If I keep going, I won’t be able to stop.”

  As much as I wanted to keep going, I knew he was right. We would wait until my parents were asleep.

  He went back to his side of the sink and picked up the
towel. He held out his hand. “I’m ready for the next dish.”

  I could only nod as I turned back to the sink and finished washing the pan. I handed it to him, surprised that my hands were shaking.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he stated as he ran the towel over the pan. “What do you find attractive in men?”

  “It’s what attracts me to you. I like your shoulders. They’re strong and broad. Sometimes I watch you as you take care of the horses. I can see your muscles move under your shirt if you’re not wearing a vest or a coat.”

  “You’ve been admiring me when I wasn’t looking?”

  I chuckled at his appalled expression. I knew he was joking. “Yes. And not just the shoulders,” I admitted, deciding this game was fun.

  “What else?”

  I glanced at him. “Well, your pajamas are a little tight.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I know. I picked the wrong size at the store.”

  “That’s your opinion. I take peeks when you’re not looking.”

  “I feel naked.”

  I could tell he didn’t mind being ogled.

  “I can’t wait for tonight.”

  I shared his enthusiasm but didn’t voice it. Instead, I turned my attention back to the dishes.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Todd’s Point of View

  That night, once her parents were asleep and I finished my usual chores, I quietly walked past my old room. It felt good to not sleep in there anymore.

  It felt strange not to knock, but I reminded myself that she was expecting me. It was our bedroom now. I opened the door. The kerosene lamp resting on the dresser lit up the room in a soft glow. She stood by the window in her nightgown. Heat swelled in my groin and I resisted the urge to hide my arousal. We were about to make love, so there was no longer the need to hide my attraction for her. I shut the door and smiled at her.