His Convenient Wife Page 19

  “Exactly what did you think you were going to get when you married me? I might look like Rose, but I’m not her.”

  “Rose?” he asked, his voice louder. “This is about Rose?”

  “She’s the one you wanted. I can’t help it if she married Kent instead of you, and I can’t help it if I look like her. But when I agreed to marry you, it was understood there was never going to be anything between us.”

  He glanced up at the porch ceiling and groaned. “I wish I’d never gone to that stupid auction your uncle did. This wouldn’t even be an issue if I’d stayed home.” His gaze returning to her, he continued, “How many times do I have to apologize? I was wrong. I’m sorry. I love you. I didn’t love you then, but I love you now.”

  “You only love me because I look like her.”

  He muttered something under his breath that she suspected was inappropriate to say in front of a lady then shook his head. “You believe that. I can tell by the look on your face, you really believe that.” He paced the porch for a moment then turned to her. Then, in a louder voice that wavered between frustration and anger, he added, “I’m sick of being reminded of the past. The past has no relevance to what’s going on now. I made love to you last night, not her.”

  From inside the house, Maggie called out for them.

  “You woke her up,” Harriett told him. “Now, I have to go to her.”

  “No! You’re staying here until I convince you you’re wrong about Rose.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what to do, Stan.”

  “Well, I’m not letting you in there until we resolve this.”

  Maggie called out for them again. Fine. If he wouldn’t let her in the house to take care of the girl, then he could do it himself. Without a word, she stumped down the porch steps and headed for the barn. She had to get away from here.

  “Where are you going?” he called after her.

  Without bothering to look back at him, she snapped, “Away from here.”

  “Are you coming back?”

  Noting the worried tone in his voice, her anger subsided a bit. Not enough to make her turn around and head back to the house, but enough so she could answer him civilly. “Yes.”

  “When?”

  She turned to face the house. As much as she wanted to go to Maggie, she couldn’t. Not when he stood in her way. “Suppertime,” she finally called out. “I’ll be back by suppertime.”

  “Alright,” he replied.

  He went into the house, his shoulders slumped, and gently shut the door behind him. Ignoring the stab of guilt in her heart, she continued on to the barn.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Harriett slowed the buggy to a stop when she made it off Stan’s property. She didn’t know where to go. She could see her parents, she supposed. Maybe talk to her ma or Adam. Or she could visit Rose. But considering how upset she was, she thought it best not to see her sister. Yes, she wanted to believe Stan, that he no longer had feelings for Rose, but she’d been so used to him casting her aside for Rose that it only seemed natural to expect she’d never mean anything to him.

  She wiped a tear that slid down her cheek. What she probably should do was clear her mind for a while. Simply take time to not think. It’d be her pa’s advice. Her ma would have given Stan the benefit of the doubt and trusted what he said, but in this case, she thought her pa’s approach was best.

  If she put some distance between herself and last night, she might get a better perspective on what Stan told her this morning. As much she wanted to believe him, she was too afraid to.

  After brushing back another tear, she led the horse down through the field, taking it off the path the neighboring families used to go to town. The tall grass didn’t impede her journey. It was further away from town, and as far as she knew, no one had claimed the land yet. If she wanted to truly get away from others, this was the only way she could do it. Otherwise, someone would come by at some point, and no doubt, they’d want to know if she was alright.

  On any other day, she could make up some excuse to mask her feelings, but such was not the case today. She couldn’t even pretend nothing was bothering her when Stan confronted her.

  She continued down the field, only glancing over her shoulder once in a while to see how far she’d traveled from the main path. Once she was safely out of view, she set the brake and got down from the buggy. She unhitched the horse then led it to a tree where she wrapped the reins around it, giving the steed freedom to eat while he waited for her to be ready to head back home.

  She patted the horse’s neck and tried to fight the tears that welled up in her eyes. How could she return to Stan after all this? Her feelings had always been transparent. Now, it just seemed worse.

  Leaving the horse, she found a spot where she could sit. She was risking getting a tick or two, she knew, but that was the least of her worries. Running off was so unlike her. It’d be something Rose would do. Rose was spontaneous like this, throwing caution to the wind and letting whatever was meant to be happen. If only Harriett could be the same way. Then maybe she wouldn’t second guess everything.

  She drew her legs up to her chest and settled her forehead on her knees. After taking a few moments to relax, she became aware of the gentle breeze brushing against her hair. The sun warmed things considerably. In fact, it was slightly hot, but not so much so that Harriett felt the need to seek shade under the tree.

  She lifted her head and realized she was crying. She wiped her cheeks but had to soon give up since it seemed the harder she tried to stop crying, the faster the tears came. Why couldn’t she just be happy? If Stan was being nice to her, did it really matter why? The question was silly. Of course, it mattered why. But what if he was telling her the truth? What if he did love her instead of Rose? Why was that so hard to accept?

  She wasn’t sure how long she sat in the field, but after some time passed, she finally stopped sobbing like a pitiful child. Then, disregarding any notion of bugs, she settled on her back and closed her eyes. Not too long after, she drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  Stan glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall as he set the last bowl on the table. It was suppertime, but Harriett hadn’t returned. And worse, the clouds in the sky were getting dark. The day was bright and sunny when she left. His main fear as she took the buggy out was whether or not she’d return. Now he was beginning to wonder if she’d be able to return. Unless she left her parents’ home or Rose’s home a half hour ago, she was going to get stuck in the storm.

  He retrieved the spoons and put them next to the bowls, hoping that by focusing on getting supper ready, it would make Harriett come home. But by the time he had the food in the center of the table, ready to eat, she still hadn’t walked through the door.

  “Where’s Ma?” Maggie asked as she came in from the parlor, holding her doll.

  “She’s on her way back from seeing her family.”

  He hoped. Maybe she decided to stay there for the night. Up to now, he hadn’t considered it, but it was a possibility. She might be so upset that she’d stay away for an entire night…or longer.

  He went over to the window and searched the land for any indication she was on her way home, but he didn’t see her or the buggy anywhere. And to top it off, the wind had picked up considerably. His gaze went to the barn. Maybe she was in there. Maybe she’d gotten to the barn while he was setting out the soup and biscuits. It wasn’t likely, but it was possible.

  “Want to go to the barn and see if she’s there?” he asked Maggie.

  Since the girl nodded, he picked her up and carried her out of the house. The wind pushed against him pretty hard, and he searched the clouds, looking for signs of a possible tornado. But the sky wasn’t a dark green color, nor were any funnels forming in the sky. Still, the wind was picking up and some debris was starting to fly around.

  “Come on,” he told the girl, though it was pointless since he was still carrying her.

  He hurried to the barn, but ri
ght away, he could see Harriett hadn’t returned. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something he shouldn’t, but he managed to refrain from doing it for Maggie’s sake. Up to now, he’d taken Harriett’s absence pretty well.

  Yes, it’d bothered him that she left the way she did. But he managed to hold onto the hope she’d return, and when she did, they could have a good, long talk and hopefully resolve the issue about Rose. Given the way the weather was, though, he could only pray she had the sense to stay at her parents’ or Rose’s house until the storm passed.

  “We’ll have to eat alone this evening,” he told Maggie. “Ma will come home after the storm is over.”

  “She safe?”

  “I’m sure she is. She’s smart. She wouldn’t come home if a storm was brewing.”

  He hoped. What if she started home before the clouds began to gather? Storms could come on so suddenly across the Nebraska prairie, and this happened to be one of them. He considered taking the horse out so he could look for her, but he had to keep Maggie safe. He couldn’t risk her getting hurt in the storm. No, whether or not he liked it, he had to wait the storm out. Then, he’d search for Harriett.

  He ran back for the house and made it to the porch in time for thunder to rumble in the distance. The first raindrop hit just as he shut the kitchen door.

  ***

  A raindrop fell on Harriett’s forehead, and she stirred. Another raindrop fell on her. Groaning, she opened her eyes. Where was she? She saw the dark sky above her and the tall grass around her blowing wildly in the wind. Not too far away, she heard a horse neighing.

  With a gasp, she sat up. She’d fallen asleep out here? In the middle of nowhere? She’d only meant to close her eyes and force herself to forget Stan for an hour. Never in a million years did she intend to drift off to sleep.

  Another raindrop landed on her hand, and she scrambled to her feet. She hurried over to the horse and untied the reins from the tree. The horse neighed again, probably letting her know it wasn’t at all happy about their current predicament.

  “I’m sorry, Chester,” she told the horse. “I never meant to stay out this long.”

  She had no idea what time it was. The sky was too dark to tell. For all she knew, it was well past the time she told Stan she’d be back. He’d be worried about her. But she hoped he wasn’t foolish enough to search for her with Maggie.

  No, of course, not. He knew better than to risk Maggie’s safety. And besides, there was no way he would find her. She’d done too good a job of hiding, something she was quickly regretting, given the perilous situation she was stuck in.

  “I never should have fallen asleep,” she muttered as she led the horse over to the buggy.

  Just as she made it, the raindrops became more frequent and a faint rumble echoed through the air. The horse neighed again in irritation and pulled away from the buggy.

  “Chester, don’t!” she called out over the wind.

  But the horse bucked back. She struggled to maintain her footing but tripped and hit the edge of the buggy. Crying out, she let go of the reins with one of her hands, her free hand going to her sore hip.

  She knew it was a mistake as soon as she did it, and while she struggled to regain control of the reins, a flash of white light lit up the sky, scaring both her and the horse. The horse bucked back again, and this time it ran off, taking her along with it across the grass.

  “Chester, stop!”

  The howling wind was no match for her voice, and neither was the sudden downpour of rain that came upon them. She held onto the rein with one hand for as long as she could, afraid if she let go, she’d be stuck out here. But in the end, the rope slipped from her grip, and before she even knew what was happening, she came to an abrupt stop.

  She called out for the horse as she scrambled to her knees. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she saw the horse racing across the field. There was no way it was coming back for her. She searched the area, hoping she could tell where she came from, but the rain was so thick, it was hard to see anything unless it was close to her.

  And all she saw were blades of grass and wildflowers in every direction. Even the tree and buggy were nowhere in sight. Just how far had the horse taken her? Was she closer or further from the main path? Who owned the nearest property to her? She couldn’t have gone too far. Yes, the horse was fast, but he wasn’t that fast...was he?

  For the time being, she thought it best to remain where she was. The storm would pass. Considering how fast it came, she doubted it would last long. Maybe a half hour at the most? Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by thunder ten seconds later.

  She closed her eyes and focused. What was it her pa said she should do if she ever got stuck in a thunderstorm? Finding shelter was his first piece of advice. Even if she had to abandon the horse and buggy, she was better off getting into a barn or some other solid structure. But there was nowhere she could go, and the horse had abandoned her, not the other way around, a point that was neither here nor there.

  She shook her head to will aside the distracting thoughts. Focus. She needed to focus. She took a deep breath. There was nowhere to go. So now what? It wasn’t safe to be outside in the middle of a storm, especially one producing lightning. There was a possibility of a tornado, too, but she wouldn’t let her mind go there. At the moment, she needed to focus on what was actually happening.

  After what seemed like a long moment, she remembered her pa said not to stand up and not to lie down. Either position would make her vulnerable to a lightning strike. And in retrospect, her getting away from the tree and buggy worked in her favor.

  As the rain beat down on her, she struggled to recall the rest of her pa’s advice. It took her a few moments, but she got it. She placed her feet together and got into a squatting position. Then, she tucked her chin to her chest and placed her hands over her ears.

  This had to be right. She hoped it was right. Another flash lit up the sky, and this time, five seconds followed before thunder boomed around her. She jerked and curled up into a tighter ball. She’d never been stuck out in a thunderstorm in her entire life. She’d always been too sensible for this kind of thing. If anyone was likely to get stuck out in a storm, it’d be Rose. Rose, after all, was the one who liked to ride in the fields and lost track of time.

  It’s because I can’t think straight when it comes to Stan. I never have, and I never will.

  She wouldn’t have believed anyone could have this much power over her when she agreed to marry him. But it was as true as the fact that she was stuck in a thunderstorm in the middle of a vacant field because she was too afraid of opening up to him and being vulnerable all over again like she’d been that day of the picnic.

  Another flash of light lit up the sky, so she closed her eyes and braced herself for the next booming thunder that would soon follow.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Stan had to wait a full hour before it was safe to take Maggie outside. Supper had been tense. He could hardly eat anything, and the girl, who must have picked up on his apprehension, only nibbled her food as well. He didn’t have the heart to encourage her to eat more.

  Instead, he quietly took care of the dishes while Maggie asked him if Harriett would be coming home now that the storm had passed. He was too afraid to answer her, and after asking three times, she gave up and went back to the parlor to look out the window.

  Once the lightning and thunder stopped, he put a hat on the girl’s head and carried her to the barn. Soon, he had her on the horse with him and was riding out of the barn. The clouds were lingering in the air, but some sunlight was peering through, allowing him a good view of the land.

  “Where we go?” Maggie asked.

  “To see if your ma is at her parents.”

  Or to see if she was on her way back from there. He’d take either one. There was the possibility she went to visit Rose, of course. The two were always close, but given how she thought he was still pining for Rose, he didn’t know if Rose was
the person she’d want to see right now.

  The ride to Harriett’s parents’ home was just as tense as supper had been. The girl knew something was wrong. She had to have known there was more to this than her mother choosing to spend the day with her family.

  He never should have pushed Harriett. She hadn’t been ready to make love to him. He knew it. But he’d been impatient and started kissing her, and one thing led to another and then they were in bed. He’d let his desire override sound judgment, and now he might lose her.

  Clenching his jaw, he willed the urge to cry aside. He had to find her first. Maybe he could work something out with her. Maybe she’d agree to come back if he promised not to touch or kiss her. As much as it hurt to think they’d never get to experience anything as wonderful as last night again, he’d rather give it up than lose her.

  “Don’t see buggy,” Maggie said as they finally arrived at the Larsons’ house.

  “It might be in the barn,” he told her, hoping she didn’t detect the worry in his voice.

  After he helped her down, he secured the horse to the post then picked her up and went up the porch steps. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. If she didn’t want to come home with him, he couldn’t force her, but maybe he could talk to her.

  The door opened, and her pa smiled. Well, that was good, right? That meant Dave wasn’t mad at him for upsetting her.

  “What can I do for you, Stan?” Dave asked.

  “I was wondering if Harriett’s here.” Oh, good heavens. His voice squeaked just like it had when he was thirteen. He cleared his throat.

  “No. Did she say she was coming over?”

  “No, but I thought she might. She left earlier today.” No sense in telling him why. “And she said she’d come back at suppertime, but that was over an hour ago, and she’s still gone. I suppose she might have gone to Rose’s.”