Falling In Love With Her Husband Page 20

She turned around to see what I was talking about. Two can play this game. You’re not the only one who can catch the other one off guard. She let out of shout of glee when she saw the box. She opened it.

  I enjoyed her excitement as she pulled out the matching dish set decorated with various fruits. “How did you know I wanted this?”

  I sat next to her. “I can read your mind.”

  “You seem to do that, you know. It’s almost spooky the way you know exactly what I want. Did Mrs. Coley or Barbara tell you?”

  “No and you can’t ask any more questions or I can’t surprise you anymore.”

  “Oh. I love your surprises. You are so thoughtful.”

  “I like buying you things.”

  She put the cups and dishes back into the box. “This will go perfectly with the new kitchen towels you got me. I think Mrs. Coley likes to see you. You’re a faithful customer. How can you afford all of this? Don’t you need some money for your farming supplies?”

  “I knew you would ask me that question, so I brought you a written account from the bank. This is what is in our account. I keep your dowry money in the investment account. You’ll see that I take the interest we earn from the dowry and use that to buy you gifts. Mrs. Coley gives me discounts on anything I buy you. Apparently, you don’t take enough food for the amount of work you do.”

  “No, I don’t. I like being there so much that it doesn’t seem like work. It almost seems like I’m taking advantage of her.”

  “She said the same thing about you. I think when I buy you things at a discount, it makes her feel better.”

  She examined the papers. “So, we have been doing well all along.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

  She grinned. “I suppose I haven’t taken the time to listen to you.”

  “You wanted to help me. I love you for that, Ann.”

  “You’re doing well. That’s a good thing. But why did you spend so many nights last fall pacing the floors at night? I thought you were worried about money.”

  “You were in the room next to mine and I wanted to be with you.”

  “Oh. Then you spent a lot of time desiring me and I had no idea.”

  I took off my hat and laid down. “Yes, but I wanted to be sure you were ready. I didn’t want you to have sex with me because you felt obligated to.”

  She looked at me with her compassionate expression. “You poor thing. What you must have gone through.”

  I was ready to reassure her that I was fine, but the moment seemed too good to pass up. I loudly sighed. “It was hard. A man has needs.”

  “I want to meet those needs.” She leaned forward and kissed me.

  My thoughts shifted in another direction. “Ann, when I was working at the bank, I overheard two women telling each other that they considered sex a chore. You don’t think that, do you?”

  “I spent all day in anticipation for this moment and you ask me a silly question like that? Couldn’t you tell how much I wanted you?” Her hand slid from my shirt and under my pants until she caressed my erection.

  I raised an eyebrow. “You do have your hands all over me.”

  She chuckled. “You are irresistible.” She paused and grew thoughtful. “I suppose if a man doesn’t treat his wife with respect and love, then it’s hard to get excited about being intimate. I don’t have that problem with you. You’ve always been good to me. How can I not desire you?” A wicked grin crossed her face. “Can we stop talking and get to the fun part? I’ve been waiting for this all week.”

  “I’m all yours.” I pulled her on top of me and let her make love to me.

  ***

  We did have another snowstorm in late February, but the snow didn’t stay on the ground for long. In early March, Ann received a letter from her parents. She told me what was in it while we sat on the porch swing. She seemed as sad as I felt when she informed me that my father had forbidden Agnes to communicate with us. It was apparent that he was determined to hold onto his anger, though my mother was sympathetic and wished to talk to us.

  “Onto better news,” Ann continued. “My parents are moving to Jamestown in August. I do miss them. It will be good to have them nearby.”

  I nodded. I had always thought her parents were good people.

  “Also,” she went on, “Alex and Agnes seemed to get along well when he came by for a quick visit during Christmas vacation. They’re writing letters now, and it appears that they are fond of each other. I hope this won’t lead to where I think it’s leading.”

  “You mean marriage? What’s wrong with that?”

  “Alex will be related to me.”

  I laughed. “It will be good to have him as a brother. Besides, Agnes seemed to think he was attractive, though they didn’t take the time to talk. I suppose with me out of the way, it gave them a chance to get to know each other.”

  She groaned. “Maybe we should have stayed in Virginia.”

  “Then we wouldn’t have gotten to know each other as we have.”

  She sighed miserably. “I am trapped either way I go.”

  I kissed her. “Is it that bad? He won’t be living near us. He’ll be states away.”

  “That does help ease the pain.”

  I shook my head, unable to understand how two people who had such a big impact on my life could be at odds with one another. “You don’t have to worry about him. If he pulls any of his pranks on you, I’ll slip a squirrel in his shirt.”

  Her face lit up. “You would do something like that for me, wouldn’t you?”

  “Of course. I can’t have him pulling pranks on you.”

  She snuggled against me. “I love you, Todd.”

  “I love you, too.” I put my arm around her shoulders and enjoyed the gentle breeze. “Did your mother say anything else?”

  “Yes, she did. You’ll like this news. Once she and my father got back to Virginia, he had a long discussion with Kent’s father. Kent’s been warned not to see me again. Mother said he won’t be a problem anymore.”

  I sighed with relief. Thank goodness that was over.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ann’s Point of View

  It was mid-March when most of the snow melted and my trips to town with Barbara picked up to twice a week again. Since Thanksgiving, I stopped going to town as often. Barbara was six months pregnant by this time and over our talks, I became adequately educated on the subject of expecting and babies. I supposed that Todd was relieved he wasn’t around for such talk. He would surely consider it boring. Bruce had turned six and Molly had turned three in January. Calvin was anxiously expecting his birthday in April. Mrs. Carson came in to pick up food for Mrs. Randolph who was still ill but steadily getting better. Mrs. Carson signed up at the town’s church to clean and cook for the elderly who didn’t have any relatives to care for them. Rumor was that the elderly loved her stories of what good things people were doing for others in the town. She was, in a sense, the town angel. Even Mr. Carson couldn’t stop praising his wife.

  When Barbara stopped the carryall at my house, I thanked her for taking me to town and got out of the carriage. I took the bag of goods the Coleys had given me into the kitchen. When I entered the parlor, I was surprised to see Todd sitting at the desk with some papers in front of him.

  “I thought you were going to Mr. Fields’ today.”

  He looked up from the papers and smiled. “I don’t need to work there anymore. I just brought home our own tractor. Soon I’ll start working here.”

  “That’s wonderful! Can I see it?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask.” He quickly grabbed his sweater and led me to the barn. “It’s used but the parts work. I should know. I helped him repair it.”

  “You worked on this?” I stepped around to examine the red machine that would sit one person. It looked large and intimidating.

  “It’s a John Froelich tractor. It runs on gasoline.”

  “Instead of steam?”

  He nod
ded. “I’m going to buy a threshing machine. This tractor will pull it during the harvest season. It’ll cut my time down because it’d take longer if I used the horses.”

  I was impressed he could use the tractor, let alone understand what to do with it. “You must know a lot about farming.”

  “I learn a little more each day.”

  I hugged him, laughing. “Your dream is finally coming true! You’re a farmer, Todd.”

  I could tell he was pleased, and I was pleased for him.

  ***

  By the end of March, I woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well. It was a mild nausea so I thought I could ignore it and go back to sleep, but it bothered me enough that I had to get up. I tried not to wake Todd as I took the kerosene lamp and went down the steps. I waited until I was in the kitchen before I lit it. I turned the knob so the flame was low.

  I sat at the table. The mild illness wasn’t anything I had experienced before, so I tried to decide what could be causing it. After a few minutes, I stood up and went to the calendar that hung on the wall. In the news of my parents’ plans to move to town, I had forgotten to keep track of the days in my cycle. When I realized I was late for the month of March, my heart fluttered with excitement.

  “Is everything alright?”

  I turned to the kitchen door. I hadn’t heard Todd come in.

  “When I woke up, you were gone. I came to see if anything is wrong.”

  I couldn’t stop smiling. “No, nothing’s wrong. I think I’m expecting.”

  “Really?” Suddenly he was wide awake.

  “I’ll have to see the doctor to make sure, but I’m pretty sure. Barbara told me everything I need to know about it.”

  He walked over to me and kissed me. “Ann, this is great news. I never imagined my life would change so much in a year.”

  “I can hardly remember what life was like before we came out here. Isn’t that strange? I’m glad you took me with you.”

  “Me too.”

  ***

  I couldn’t wait until Thursday to go into town, so I went to Barbara’s house the next day and we went to see the doctor. She was as excited as I was when he confirmed my suspicions. “It looks like you’ll be having an early Christmas gift this year,” he said.

  Of course, I had to stop by the mercantile and tell Mr. and Mrs. Coley the news. I even told them to let Mrs. Carson know the next time she came in. I sent a telegram to my parents. I knew they would be thrilled. The ride home was longer than usual, for I couldn’t wait to confirm the news with Todd. After I took Barbara and Molly home, I put the horses and buggy in the barn.

  I noted that Lightning was gone. Todd must have gone out to the fields to make plans on where he would plant his crops. He had mentioned needing to do that. I dismissed my disappointment. It wasn’t like he didn’t already know.

  I went to the house and gathered food for the dog. Sometimes the cats liked to eat with the dog, so I put the food in an extra large bowl. I walked out to the front and set the bowl on the porch where the dog and cats quickly ran up to me. I grinned. The only time they seemed to care about me was during mealtime. I sat on one of the chairs and watched them enjoy their meal. As I rocked back and forth, I felt tired from the day’s events. In all the excitement the night before, I couldn’t sleep. I went over to the porch swing, laid down and took a nap, wrapping a warm blanket around me.

  Patches’ barking woke me up. I tried to ignore it but the dog’s persistence paid off so I sat up to see what was bothering him. Perhaps Barbara was coming over. He often barked no matter who came to visit. I frowned as a man on a black horse rode toward the house. I didn’t recognize the horse, and it was too soon to recognize who the visitor was. John didn’t come over unless he brought his wagon. He usually brought some tools to work on Todd’s farming equipment. Perhaps it was Mr. Fields coming to check the condition of the tractor. Did he have a black horse? I wished I had paid more attention when I visited him and his wife a month ago. But Todd would be here if he expected Mr. Fields. He wouldn’t be out in the field.

  Feeling uneasy, I pushed the blanket aside and stood up. I grabbed the empty bowl and took it into the house. After I placed it on the kitchen table, I hastened to the parlor and peered out the window. A feeling of dread came over me. It was Kent! Why was he coming here? He wasn’t supposed to come back. He even made it a point to apologize to my parents. So why was he here? I couldn’t dismiss the feeling that something was wrong. I quickly locked the front door and backed up.

  Patches’ barking grew more persistent. Kent was getting closer. I stopped walking when I reached the back door of the house. I looked out the window by the door. Could I make it to the barn in time? Should I stay here or go to the barn? My heart pounded fiercely in my chest. Where was I safer? The distance to the barn seemed to span an eternity.

  The sound of someone knocking on the front door made me jump. I knew it was him without looking out the window. I quickly locked the back door and ran up the steps. I didn’t consider that my movements would be loud enough for him to hear from outside. In my panic, I thought if I stayed in the house, he would assume I wasn’t home and go away. I breathed heavily when I made it to the guest bedroom, which was the first bedroom upstairs.

  Just stay quiet and he’ll go away.

  Patches continued to bark but I could still make out the sound of knocking from downstairs.

  I forced myself to take deep breaths so I could calm my nerves. He would go away. He would have to go away. He doesn’t know I’m here. Does he? Did he hear me running up the steps? Oh God, why wasn’t I more quiet?

  I stood in the doorway. I couldn’t see the front door but I could hear what was going on. The sound of glass smashing nearly made me scream. I put my hand over my mouth before the sound could escape my throat. Was he really going to break into my house?

  What should I do? What should I do?!

  Patches was growling and Kent screamed at him. Sounds of a struggle made its way up the stairs. I took the moment to take my shoes off since they made the loudest sound possible on the hardwood floors. My feet were quiet as I anxiously made my way across the room. I looked out the window. I groaned when I didn’t see a tree to climb down. Todd’s old bedroom had the tree in front of it. Downstairs, the struggle between Patches and Kent ended. Was Patches dead? The sound of Kent walking across the parlor moved me to action. I slid under the bed. The bed was high but the blanket was so long it was inches from the floor. I readjusted it, praying that it would hide me. I set my shoes at my head and closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to slow down. Pretend you’re wearing one of those horrible corsets.

  It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. “Ann? Are you here?”

  I cringed at the sound of his voice. Go away!

  “Ann, I know you’re here. I saw you from the porch when I was coming here.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut. That was my mistake. I should have gone to the barn. He would be searching the house and I would be safe out there.

  He casually made his way up the steps. Don’t look under the bed! He stopped at the guest bedroom. I saw a drop of blood fall to the floor. Was it his blood or Patches’ blood? He walked in and looked around the room. I held my breath as his shoes stopped in front of the bed. He left the room and went to Todd’s old bedroom.

  I had to get out of the house. When he didn’t find me in the other bedrooms, he would surely start looking under the beds. I had to move quickly but quietly. I slid out from under the bed and tiptoed to the door. I peeked around the corner. He was inside the room.

  He laughed. “I don’t understand why you’re hiding from me.” Then he grew serious, “Is Todd here too? Is he keeping you quiet?”

  I made my way down the stairs as quietly as I could. Since he was talking, it made it easier to hide the squeaky sounds my footsteps made on the steps. Just as I made it downstairs, he came out of the second bedroom. I stopped, pressed my back to the wall, and waited to see i
f he would look in my direction. I noted his bloody arm. It looked like Patches bit him. Kent didn’t look at me. He went to the third bedroom.

  His voice turned sour. “Hmm... It looks like you two got friendly. I thought you were going to stay pure for me. I told you I’d be back for you.”

  I didn’t listen to him. Every instinct in my body told me to get to the barn. I ran as slowly as I dared, hoping he wouldn’t hear my footsteps as I made my way through the house. I unlocked the back door and opened it. Since he was still talking, it was easy to avoid being heard.

  Once I was out of the house, I ran as fast as I could to the barn.

  “Ann? Are you running away from me?” he yelled out of my bedroom window.

  I didn’t look back. I just kept running, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. I knew Kent would be able to outrun me. I just hoped I had enough of a head start to make it to the barn first. Once I got the gun, he would have to leave me alone.

  I heard the back door slam shut. That meant he had left the house.

  “Ann! Wait! I can forgive you for sleeping with Todd,” he yelled as he pursued me.

  Where was the dog? Where was Todd? What did Kent plan to do to me? I recalled my encounter with him in the mercantile. What am I supposed to do when he won’t listen to me? I can tell him no but he won’t accept it. Do I have to point a gun at him to make him listen?

  I made it to the barn. I ignored my shaking hands as I went to the pile of chopped wood. I nearly cried in alarm when I saw that the gun was gone. I glanced up on the shelf and saw the axe. I grabbed it and frantically looked around. I needed to get to Todd. He would know what to do. My breathing was so fast that it made me lightheaded. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I needed to think clearly. Now wasn’t the time to faint.

  Just talk sense into him. Did I really expect him to think I was trying to talk sense into him when I was holding an axe in my clammy, shaky hands? I considered laying the axe down but something stopped me. What if he didn’t just kiss me? What if he went further than that? With Todd and the dog out of sight, I had no guarantee that anyone or anything would stop him before he did something rash. So I decided I would hold onto the axe. Todd was right. It was better to overreact if it meant I increased my chances of being safe. I glanced at the two horses in their stalls. The smaller one would be easier to ride bareback. I wished I had taken the time to learn to ride a horse, but now was not the time for regrets. It was time for action. The smaller one would have to do. I hurried over to the stalls.