 The Jilted Bride

©2019 by Stella Clark

All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, events or locales is completely coincidental.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

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Chapter One

Her fingers wouldn’t stop dancing. The bundle of flowers she had bought out on the street was growing limp, folding over as the time grew late. Ruby Gebhart didn’t blame them, seeing as she had spent all afternoon at the courthouse waiting. The room was warm and the air was stale. Her eyes darted around the large windows, and she prayed he was still coming.

Where was he?

Patting her hair in the warm room, Ruby tried to tell herself for the hundredth time that everything was going to be just fine. Was it getting hotter in there? Or was it just her? She scrabbled in search of her handkerchief but couldn’t find it and sat back down in dismay. She was hot and still alone.

Nathaniel Vertz had not shown up to marry her like he had promised. She swallowed the little lump in the back of her throat, trying to tell herself it was just a cold. Just yesterday she’d spent the afternoon with her neighbor’s seven children. New York in the summer made everyone sick. All she needed was some rest and she would be fine. After all, it couldn’t be nerves.

“Excuse me?”

Ruby jumped up from her bench. Three flower petals fell from the sudden movement, but she ignored them. “Hello. I—” As she opened her mouth to explain her tardy fiancé to the justice of the peace, the older man raised a hand.

“I’m sorry,” he offered in a kindly tone. “But it’s time. City hall is closing. I need to be getting home to my wife and my supper. I’m … I’m certain your gentleman was held up by some unforeseen circumstances. Perhaps we’ll see you two wed tomorrow?”

That lump in her throat was getting bigger. She tried to smile as she wiped a droplet of sweat off her forehead. It really was warm in there. The man could not at all be blamed for wanting to leave. “Certainly. Yes, I … thank you for your patience. I’m terribly sorry for inconveniencing you.” It took all her strength to force the words out.

Grudgingly, Ruby trailed after the man, staring at the tragic bouquet of flowers in her hands. When he locked the doors behind them in the warm evening air, she went and sat on the closest bench.

Where was he?

They had been so close for the last ten years. When his family came down from Vermont, she’d immediately been drawn to them and they’d been ever friends since. They’d been so close. While they hadn’t grown very romantic, he had agreed to marry her to help her leave home. She didn’t have any other options, and he knew how seriously she needed to get away.

Everything had been planned. Her bag was packed, and he was going to use his savings from his newspaper job to set them up somewhere up north. They were just going to buy a train ticket out and go from there. But they couldn’t do anything without getting married first. Her eyes dropped to the flowers, trying to ignore the bruises on her wrists.

When her stomach growled, Ruby realized she hadn’t eaten anything all day. After all, she had gone straight there the moment city hall opened, waiting for Nate to arrive. Everything had been set up, and the only thing she had missed was her groom.

Her heart stopped. What if her father had found out? What if he had stopped Nate? And here she was, thinking about food. Ruby’s stomach knotted as she hurried into the street, frantic. Keeping an eye and ear out, she headed towards his family’s house, praying for his safety.

It was on his street when she heard a groan. From a familiar voice. Ruby swallowed hard, looking around. “Nate?” she hissed, squinting in the dim light. “Nate!” Eventually, there was another groan, and she followed the sound to an unlit street lamp. There was a tall, gangly lump of a figure sitting against it. “Nate!” Ruby ran to him, falling on her knees to search his body for wounds. “What happened? Nate!”

But as her hands searched for bruises and blood, there were none. Rather, she found a rather familiar bottle clutched in his hand. Ruby froze. Picking it up, she glanced back at him. It was him without a doubt. But she hadn’t known him to take to drink.

“That’s mine,” he slurred. “Can I—I wanna—I’m no’ done.”

But she didn’t give up the bottle. “Nate,” Ruby asked urgently, grabbing his cheek. “What happened? Where have you been? We—we were supposed to get married.”

He kept grabbing for the bottle. “No, I … that’s silly. I’m not ready. Not getting married. Ruby, she … she’ll be fine. Now gimme that beer, would ya, doll?”

The bottle fell from her fingers and shattered at their feet. Nate fell over on his side in a groan. That lump in her throat left, only to drop into her stomach, pounding her heart on the way down. How could he say that?

So she left him. A torrent of frustrated emotions welled up within her, but she forced them at bay. Reaching the shabby home, Ruby stepped inside, quietly locking the door behind her. She paused and listened. Her heart hammered as she searched for excuses if he was around. After all, she had been gone all day, so he might have noticed. But what if he hadn’t?

An empty beer bottle slammed against the wall next to her. Ruby ducked, though it was too late. A stabbing pain in her cheek meant the cut glass had found her. “I’m sorry,” she started, feeling something warm slide down her neck.

“You filth! Where’s my supper! How dare you! What were you doing, whoring yourself around?”

Ruby glanced at her father in the hall, leaning heavily against the wall, which meant he’d had more than enough to drink. And it meant he was slow. She watched as he threw the other item in his hand, the newspaper. But since she was looking, she caught it.

“Well?” he bellowed. Ruby decided it was best not to argue and so she ran up the stairwell beside her, disappearing into her bedroom. Her father had a much harder time climbing the stairs if he was more than ten beers drunk.

It would be foolish not to be careful, however, so Ruby turned all three of her locks and blocked the door handle with her chair. Only then, once she was alone, did Ruby collapse on her bed and allow the tears to fall. The escape hadn’t happened. Nate didn’t want her. She was more alone than she had supposed. Curling up with her pillow, she cried herself to sleep.

***

When she next opened her eyes, it was morning. The sun shone brightly through her dirty window. Ruby stretched and stepped on the crumpled newspaper. Not ready to check on her father, she decided to give it a read. There were few articles that kept her attention, but the Matrimonial Times insert made her stop and think.

Chapter Two

The sun was just rising. He glanced out over the valley below and the mountains above, trying to recall the sense of satisfaction he used to feel at such a view. But it was a ghost of a memory, and the feelings were gone. They’d been gone a long time. Two years. How had it only been two years?

It was a lifetime ago.

Jenna loved the sunrise. She always rose before dark, ready to start the day. Even when she would start on the morning chores, she would pause to look again and again. What would she say? That it breathed the life right back into her?

Owen swallowed hard and turned his head away. There was work to do. He blinked, wiped a mite of dust from his eyes, and headed towards the barn. It was time to get started on the ranch. All the animals needed to be fed, their pens cleaned, and his crops needed watering. And that was just the beginning. Owen tried not to think about the rest. There was a lot to do, after all.

Of course, it wasn’t always just him. He’d once had a foreman and three ranch hands to help with the load of running the Crazy J Ranch. Things had been easier then. He’d had Ken Green to handle the day-to-day details. Then he’d discovered the man was funneling away funds and slowly tearing the ranch apart.

“It’s not like you cared,” the man had defended himself when the truth came out. “You would have done the same. The ranch is doomed.” Part of Owen feared the man was right, but he was too stubborn to give in until he’d given it his all.

Once the early chores were finished, Owen returned to the house and listened for noise. Sometimes it was footsteps, sometimes it was screaming, sometimes it was the soft rustle of a large wool blanket being pulled across the floorboards.

Just as he started slicing bread, a small voice rose up. “Hungry.”

She lisped so it sounded like “hungwy.” Lifting his gaze, he found Kate peeking in. Though he offered her a smile, she pulled the blanket up to cover her face. Two years old and still shy of her papa.

“Come in here,” he instructed. “Sit down. And put that blanket down. You need to stop dragging it around. Come on.”

It took him three more attempts to get her to budge. Only when he went over and tugged on the blanket did she release it. Then he realized that she was still in her nightgown. “You’ll get four bites,” he shook his head in irritation, “and then you need to get dressed, you hear?”

She was too busy standing on the chair and reaching for the bread. Her hair was a mess that looked like it hadn’t been brushed in days. Then Owen remembered he hadn’t brushed it in a week. He was supposed to do that.

For a minute, he watched her. But once she’d eaten half a piece of bread, Owen guided her back to her room. Then, across the hall, Owen worked on getting Kate’s older brother, Parker, up as well. The two children grudgingly obeyed and soon the lot of them were dressed and back at the table, eating in silence.

The Jarretts hadn’t always been this quiet. But everything had been different then.

He was wasting time. Clearing his throat, he glanced at the back door. “I had best get back to the cattle. You two stay put, understood? There are apples right there if you get hungry. Parker, work on your words and watch your sister. I’ll be back around dark. Any questions?”

Two sets of large eyes looked up at him.

“Good.” He stood up and left.

The tightness in his throat would eventually go away, just as it always did. Though he worried about the children, there was nothing else he could do. School wasn’t in session and Kate was too young; he couldn’t leave her alone in the house. Parker was a good kid—only five, but clever enough.

Owen used to take them out with him on the ranch, but it was too much of a distraction now. He left them at the house and checked on them every hour or so. As long as they had their toys and snacks, they were fine being alone for most of the day.

“Howdy!”

Owen jerked up, so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard the horse. Pushing his hat back, he waved to Martin Henry, his nearest neighbor three miles down south. “Morning, Henry.”

The man came around the tree. “You haven’t been in town, Jarrett, so I thought I’d just bring your mail to you, seein’ as there’s a piece or two. Hate to keep it at the office for much longer. Here you are.” He showed him three envelopes.

Mail? He hesitated before accepting the papers. There were few people who would send him mail. The script with his name on each of them was unfamiliar, which only increased the confusion. “Ah. Well, thanks.”

His neighbor squinted, tugging his hat tighter over a mop of dark hair. “Mhm. Will we be seeing you and the kids in church this Sunday? It’s been a while. Want to make sure y’all are doing well.”

A blanket of impatience swept over Owen. So the man was here to be nosy, too. “We’ll see. But I had best get back to my work. Thanks.” He waved the letters and tucked them away. He’d deal with them later.

It was half past noon when he realized what the notes had to be about. How had he forgotten? There was so much work on his mind that he made room for little else. And that was part of the problem.

There was no way to both raise his children and save the remains of his ranch. So he had done the only thing he could think of after they’d spent a day in town picking up supplies. It was in the haberdashery that he had seen a pamphlet of the Matrimonial Times. The idea was unrealistic and unpromising, but he figured it was worth a try. After all, it would be even more unrealistic to expect someone to travel all the way to their little town to act as his housekeeper.

Owen pulled the letters back out and stared. Could they be what he thought they were? There was no other family, and he had few friends. His eyes glanced over the postmarked dates and realized they had been waiting in the post office for nearly three weeks.

“Suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” he mumbled to himself. Owen opened the first letter. He read it twice and then he did the same with the other two letters. Perhaps that half-thought-out idea of posting in the Matrimonial Times could turn into something. Perhaps he could save his ranch and find a mother for his children. He hadn’t really thought it would work. But it might.

Owen just prayed that his wife would forgive him.

Chapter Three

The constant motion of the wheels and tracks created an unsteady rhythm that Ruby couldn’t get used to on the train ride out west. From New York to Utah, it only took a few days. But they were long, uncomfortable days that weighed heavily on her heart.

It made her chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. She was going to get married. There was a home waiting for her. A family she would be a part of. Surely that was cause for celebration, even with the butterflies in her stomach.

Ruby turned her gaze back to the window, trying to be more hopeful, as her fingers danced across her knees. She was fortunate to have such a wonderful view. The fact that she had escaped her cruel father had lifted a heavy weight that she had carried for as long as she could remember.

All she needed to hope for was that this next family would be different. There was a lump in her throat again. What if she was trading something bad for something worse? Could it get worse? Her stomach roiled at the unknown, worried all of this was futile.

She took a deep breath. The unknown was better than the usual misery. There were enough bruises to last a lifetime; enough scars to last forever. All her life, she had put up with a man who’d yelled and slapped and hurt her. It wasn’t until she was eight years old that she’d learned that it wasn’t normal. And she had sworn then that she wouldn’t let it last forever. If Nate wouldn’t help, she’d find a way to help herself.

And she had.

Utah. A husband. Two children. Surely something good had to come from this? She told herself this until they arrived and she stepped onto the platform, searching for her future husband.

Owen Jarrett. She hadn’t even said his name out loud yet. He had told her he was tall and would be wearing a straw hat. Did he have facial hair? She’d never really liked whiskers on men. Clutching her bag tightly, Ruby looked towards the small crowd of mingling townsfolk.

There was only one man who stood alone.

She could feel her stomach fluttering as she took a hesitant step towards his direction. The way he surveyed the crowd was careful and slow. When his head turned towards her, Ruby paused and licked her lips. He confirmed her thoughts as he started in her direction.

Before she’d gathered her resolve, he had reached her. “Miss Gebhart?”

It had never felt like her name; not when it came from a man who’d been so hardhearted. “Ruby.” The young woman forced a smile on her lips. “Please. And you must be Mr. Owen Jarrett?”

He tipped his hat. “Indeed.” As he glanced around, she took the opportunity to look him over. The man was tall and large with a narrow waist, dressed in clean jeans and a dark shirt with the straw hat he had mentioned. He had light-colored hair and stormy eyes. But no smile. “Well, we’d best be moving. Don’t want to waste daylight. The church is right down the street.”

“The church?” She followed his gesture to see a small chapel just a few buildings down.

Nodding, he glanced her over one more time, took her bag, and stepped forward. Only then did he seem to recall what was appropriate, for it had been years, and reluctantly put out his arm to her. That’s what couples did, right? It appeared to be, for she looped her arm through his. They barely touched, and he was glad of it. He had never felt more awkward.

That morning, he had considered not coming to the station. There was work to do on the ranch, after all, and perhaps she had changed her mind. But apparently they were both prepared to keep their commitments.

They walked in silence and Ruby tried to soak in the view. Everything looked so different from the world she knew. Her own home had been a ramshackle cottage. Though the buildings here had a similar build, they appeared much stronger and warmer. Only a few were painted, and she wondered if that was considered a luxury in Utah.

Owen considered asking her to stop tugging on his arm, for she was acting like his children, looking around at everything. He saw the way she paused and the way her mouth opened. Was this going to be like having a third child? He hadn’t accepted the other two women who had written to him because one was only fourteen, the other seventeen. Ruby Gebhart was twenty and had told him several stories of taking care of his neighbor’s children that had left him more comfortable about leaving his children with her. But now, he wasn’t certain.

At least she didn’t ask questions, he reminded himself. They arrived at the chapel and found their preacher practicing his sermon. He was a short man with a ruddy complexion and soft hair. Hurrying over, he waved his papers around. “Hello, hello! Mr. Jarrett, is it? My, my, it’s lovely to see you. And you, miss—”

“Good afternoon,” Owen cut through with a nod. He set her bag down and led them forward, meeting in the middle of the room. “We’d like to get married.”

Ruby understood the preacher’s bewildered expression, for she felt the same. But he recovered gracefully, glancing between them and nodding. “Ah. Oh. Well then. I do have the time. Come, come. Don’t you have a wedding party with you?”

Owen shook his head. “No.” He paused, glancing back at Ruby. Immediately, his lips tightened as he turned back to the preacher. “It’s just us. It was a bit … sudden. But we’d like to move quickly. We need to get back to the children.”

The preacher nodded before urging them forward. “Of course, of course. Come. Let’s see, all I need is … hm. You’ll need to talk to our justice of the peace, but I do believe he should be returning to his office any minute now. We’ll do a ceremony here and go there to get your marriage certificate signed, yes?”

It was agreed. Ruby and Owen faced each other as the preacher conducted the ceremony. She wasn’t certain what to expect, but it felt like more of a meeting than the expected cheerful occasion. The preacher offered some words, she agreed, then Owen agreed, and the preacher pronounced them wed. “And you may kiss your bride.”

Her stomach tightened. He had been polite enough, confident, and hadn’t deserted her. Surely those were good signs. Shyly, she glanced up, hoping she didn’t look too much a mess from the train. Ruby tried not to think about the fact that she had never been kissed before.

But her husband wouldn’t look at her. Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips across her cheek so lightly that she wasn’t certain it had happened. “We should go,” he added quietly, before straightening up.

Ruby’s mouth turned dry, and she tried not to think about it. She dropped her gaze and allowed her hands to drop from his. The marriage certificate was obtained, and soon they were on the wagon to her new home.

Chapter Four

They arrived at a large home with a porch in front of a barn. Ruby was amazed at the view. So this was Utah. Open plains, tall mountains, and no one else for miles. Such an idea had been unfathomable for as long as she could remember. But now she was here.

Even the air tasted different. There was something pleasantly fresh about it. Summer was beginning to end, but it felt like spring was just beginning. Ruby breathed the world in as she tried to memorize the view.

“The children will be inside.” Owen pointed to the house and directed them ahead. Clutching her skirts, she hastily followed. “They’ll be your responsibility while I’m out here. Supper should be on the table by sunset. I might be late, but I’ll expect a heaping of whatever you cook. The house should be tidy, and laundry shouldn’t be out overnight.” As they walked up to the back door, he listed a few chores then paused.

The look he gave her was sharp and evaluating. She squirmed a little, trying to digest what he was saying and everything around them. “I can—I’ll do them. I’ll be a good wife.”

“Mother,” he corrected her to her surprise. “I’ve had a wife, and I buried her. But them youngsters need someone to teach them and raise them and watch them. That’s all I’m expecting. And in return you can expect a roof, a warm home, and access to food, with money when you need it. You understand?”

She only flinched with the last of his words. Though he had hinted at these ideas in the ad and letters, Ruby hadn’t been certain what he had meant. But now, the way he spit out those words was more than enough of an explanation. He wanted a nanny and a cook. Not someone to warm his bed.

Inhaling deeply, she nodded. If he didn’t want to love her, then that meant she didn’t have to love him. Maybe that would make their lives easier. Ruby tried to meet his gaze, but his eyes were so intense that she couldn’t do it. “Yes, sir,” she said quietly. Her hands dropped to her sides, but the nerves in her stomach did not go away.

“Good.” He cleared his throat and opened the door. Just as she stepped inside, Owen whistled loudly. She jerked, ready to evade a swinging fist. But there wasn’t one. When she looked up, he pointed towards the hall. “Come here,” he called. “I won’t ask again. You two need to come and meet someone. This is Ruby. Ruby, this is Parker. He’s five. And Kate. She’s two. Greet her.”

Finally, she spotted the children peeking out of the dim hall. Immediately, she offered a smile. On the occasions she had needed to avoid her father, she had gone to Widow Artler’s to help tend her seven children. They were all so innocent and curious, and she had been glad not to be left alone at home. She just hoped they would like her. “Hello. It’s lovely to meet the two of you.”

They had such big eyes, bright blue, as they stared at her. As she tried to think of something to say, Owen cleared his throat and glanced towards the window. “There’s still work out there. You can get settled and supper started. Put your bag in the far-right room. I’ve cleaned it up for you. More ’n likely, I’ll be back late.”

He avoided her gaze as he left. The man spoke roughly, but the small pauses made her wonder. Perhaps he wasn’t cruel. Swallowing, she realized she’d been assigned her chores. There was little else to do but figure out how to do them.

“One step at a time,” she reminded herself. “That’s how everything gets done.” Ruby took a deep breath and went over to the shy children. Licking her lips, she knelt down. “Hello. Your father brought me here to take care of you. It means we can have fun and play together. Would you like that?” They didn’t budge. She tried again. “Parker, is that a wooden horse you’re holding? Does it have a name?”

Slowly, he shook his head. “Papa says we don’t name things like animals. Because they die.”

That was unexpected. It was a serious answer for such a small child. She opened her mouth, but hesitated. “They do,” she nodded gently. “But darling, that’s not a real horse. He can stay as long as you like.”

Kate turned to look at her brother thoughtfully and then to Ruby. “Stay?”

She nodded. “The horse is staying. And I’m staying.” She took a deep breath and stood. “So let us begin. I’m going to put my things away, and then I think that we’ll start on supper. Are you two hungry?” They nodded after a moment.

Picking up her bag, Ruby went down the hall to the room Owen had mentioned and found a small but tidy space available. There was a bed and a chest and a nightstand, with a window above the bed. She looked it over carefully, noting the bed was a small one, made only for one person. Two would not fit.

Which meant he would not be joining her. He had made that very clear now. The man—her husband—really didn’t want a wife. Her stomach clenched, but she didn’t know how to comprehend the idea. After all, she had agreed to come out here as a wife. Yet the entire trip here, she had worried the situation would be worse than in her home in New York. Owen didn’t look like a violent or angry man. The children were untouched, so he was not abusive. So surely here would be better. But the idea that she had married a man and would never even kiss him made her wonder.

“I can think on that later.” She shook her head. She didn’t know what it was like to love a man anyways, so perhaps she didn’t need a husband. There were already children in a warm, safe home for her to spend her time with anyways.

Putting the bag down, she returned to the parlor.

The children hadn’t budged. Had they been home alone all day? Was that safe? What had they done? She tried to pull them into conversation as she started inspecting the kitchen. But they said little, preferring to observe her. It was unnerving, but her heart went out to them. Of course they would be shy. Ruby wondered what Owen had told them about her and tried to think of some ideas that might help them warm up to her.

“It’s time to prepare supper,” she reminded them. “Is there anything you two think I should cook?”

They glanced at each other and then shrugged. “Porridge?” the young boy offered.

She hadn’t expected that. “Is that what you want?”

“It’s all we ever have,” he mumbled. “And apples for lunch. And oatmeal.”

“Oatmeal,” Kate echoed.

At least they were talking to her. Ruby offered a smile and decided to scout out the kitchen. There was a whole home to explore. A little more looking around helped her find some potatoes that she cooked for them. As everything cooked, she let the children show her around the house. They were quiet for the most part, but they answered her questions.

The food was eaten enthusiastically, and she wondered how much porridge they had been eating lately. There were so many questions about everything. While they sat by the windows afterwards, Ruby tidied up and, not knowing what else to do, helped them get to bed. Soon they were fast asleep, allowing her time to herself to clean the kitchen, study the house more, and finally retire for the evening.

Owen had said not to expect her. She’d left a covered pot for him near the fireplace, hoping he might spot it before bed.

As she sat down in her new bedroom, Ruby sighed. She was tired. The traveling had taken out all of her energy, as had figuring out the house. Only then did she realize it was her wedding night.

Why had he brought home a wife if he didn’t want one? Perhaps he should have just hired some help. Yet Ruby was thankful he had not yelled or hit her. She could live with anything else. Glancing out her window, she marveled at how different it was from home. Before she went to bed, she prayed for something good to happen.

Chapter Five

He needed to hire help. This was too much for one man to handle. Acres of land to harvest and cattle to move, all on his own. What could he do? All the folks in town already had enough on their hands. Owen had to just be grateful he wasn’t worrying about the children any longer.

Once the horse was put away, he headed up to the house. As he opened the door, an unfamiliar sound reached him. He stood there for a minute, confused. Wiping his sweaty brow with his forearm, Owen wandered inside to seek out what was going on.

It was laughter. In the hallway, he saw Ruby hike up her skirts and dart around a chair towards the kitchen. He moved forward to find his two kids running from her. But they weren’t exactly screaming. They were laughing, giggling as they held hands and ran under the table.

“Oh you!” Ruby threw back her head in laughter. “I can’t reach either of you! Goodness, whatever will I do?” Her arms flung out in exaggeration. “Come back here!”

Owen cleared his throat as the woman dramatically crouched down and reached for the kids, who were clutching their stomachs in laughter. Everyone froze as they turned towards him.

The children fell silent, but Ruby gasped in surprise, banging her head into a chair when she stepped on her skirts as she struggled to get up on her feet. He heard her gulp as she offered a sheepish smile. “Hello! Sir. We were … You’re home early.”

He glanced at the setting sun. “I suppose you could say that. You’re not getting the house dirty, are you?” His eyes drifted back to the children. When he nudged his head, they obediently climbed up, setting the chairs back in their correct positions.

When Owen glanced back to Ruby, the merriment in her eyes was gone. The smile thinned as she nodded. Fixing the apron tied around her waist, the girl dropped her gaze and turned. “Of course not. Though even if we were, it would easily be cleaned up again. We were just playing. They’ve been such good children; I thought I’d show them a few games I used to play back home”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Didn’t Parker and Kate already know how to play? Silence reigned as he considered something to say next. “What about supper?”

Her face paled as she glanced back at the fireplace. “It’s cooking right now. Chicken pie. I mean, I put it on, it’s …” the girl hurried over and then sighed in relief, pointing to the pot. “See? It’s here. It’s cooking, I promise. I just, we had the time, and, and …”

She started to stammer, her face growing red. Owen ground his teeth. But he wasn’t certain if he was irritated at her nervous behavior or at himself for making her nervous. She’d been laughing one second, but the moment he arrived, she was a clumsy mess of nerves.

Shifting his feet uncomfortably, he nodded and waved a hand that quieted her immediately. “I can smell it,” he said finally. “Fine … I’ll go rinse off out back.”

“Do you need bathwater? I can draw some,” she volunteered, clasping her hands together. The idea didn’t seem to thrill her, but the way her eyes widened made him wonder if that’s how she had been raised to treat others. It was generous of her. And the way she stood in the light made her face glow. He blinked and took a step back, wondering why, for a mere second, she had looked like his wife.

“No.” Owen turned his head. “No, I’ll do it. I’ll be done in time to eat with everyone, so set me a plate.” He then carefully maneuvered around the room to avoid getting too close to the strange young woman and his two children.

***

As he washed, he needed a distraction from his sore muscles, and for some reason, the way she had played with the children wouldn’t leave him. It was silly and childish, but he hadn’t heard them laugh in a while. He sighed, burying his face in the water. Her soft brown hair had looked golden in the evening glow.

This time when Owen returned inside, he found supper laid out and Ruby tickling Parker with Kate’s help. “Under the arms,” she told the little girl while laughing.

“No, not Kate!” he wailed before erupting into giggles. “I’m laughing too hard!”

Sure enough, the little boy snorted. That made Kate fall over onto her blanket, the one she carried everywhere, laughing loudly. Ruby leaned against the chair with a hand clasped over her mouth. “Parker, where are your manners?” she demanded, pretending to be serious for only a moment before throwing her head back in laughter. “Oh, you children! My insides are going to tear in two!” She wiped away her tears before noticing Owen leaning against the door.

Her smile froze for a second before she nodded to him. She opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head. This time, he didn’t want to interrupt. There was a tight feeling in his chest as he watched. It was what a family was supposed to look like, wasn’t it?

Ruby searched his gaze before turning back to the children. She giggled as Parker poked his sister, who squealed loudly. “All right, enough laughter,” the woman announced with a clap of her hands. “I think that emptied our stomachs. Wouldn’t you say? The pie should be cool. Is anyone hungry?”

They scrambled up. “Me! I am!” Parker hopped up and down, raising one hand in the air.

As Ruby stood, Kate waved both of her hands. “I am, Mama, I am!” The young woman had started to stretch out her arms to the two-year-old, but froze.

Owen’s heart plummeted. He straightened, wondering if he had heard right. What had he just called her? Where would she have gotten that idea?

His wife, though she didn’t feel like one, heard him. The man had such a strong presence, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to ignore him. Her breath stopped short as she stared at little Kate, who was tugging on her arms now. There was the strangest sensation within her chest. “I …” Her body obeyed, bending to pick up the child before she turned back to Owen.

Though the man had said his children needed a mother, the expression he wore now said anything but. Ruby couldn’t help but take a step back from the dark look, wrapping her arms around Kate protectively. Owen’s gaze turned dark. She spotted the hands balled into fists and couldn’t help but glance towards the front door. If she had to, could she outrun him with a child in her arms?

Ruby thought fast, trying to save the situation. Being called that had been unexpected, and for the smallest moment, she’d felt invincible. But her husband’s face told her this was not good news.

“I … it’s just Ruby.” She licked her lips. “Kate? I’m just … I’m just Ruby, you hear, my sweet?”

“Ruby,” the girl struggled with her r’s, and it made her smile. “Wuby. I’m hungry.”

Owen looked away, and it broke the moment. She didn’t see him turn, but felt it in her body. Ruby’s shoulders relaxed though she held the child tighter. The room was too hot. Inhaling deeply, she swallowed and led the children to the table.

It would be the first time they ate as a family, Ruby realized. Though she had been hoping for it to come sooner, now she wondered if it was too soon. Especially after what had just happened. Glancing around, she tried to avoid Owen’s gaze. And if she was any good at guessing, she was fairly certain he was doing the same thing.

Chapter Six

“Sir? Do you have a moment?”

He sighed with his hand on his bedroom door and turned to Ruby. It was late, and he was exhausted.

She wrung her hands quickly in a flurry of movements. Something was bothering her. It could be anything. Owen didn’t want to talk, so he considered telling her that it could wait till another time.

“It’s late,” he started apprehensively.

“I know, and I still have the kitchen to clean, but I wanted to ask …” Ruby took another step forward. She needed them to be on the same page. “It’s just … we haven’t talked. I don’t know what—I mean, I … and earlier, it was just—I mean …”

He cleared his throat. “Is there a question in there?”

And she moved back. That wasn’t what he had meant. How did she have the courage to speak up but then become meek as a mouse? “I … It’s just, when Kate said … it’s just that I, if it’s … what you’ve said about us. I just wanted to, I mean, I want to … your children are precious. You know that, right?” She stepped forward, reaching him.

Somehow, her eyes shone in the shadows. He hadn’t expected her to come so close. He could smell her, and he saw the tiny curls spilling from her bun. And the way she whispered lingered in the quiet. It took a minute to realize she’d even asked a question. The children. “Yes. Everything is well?”

“Indeed, yes. They are happy and playful and smart,” she sighed. “I really … they’re lovely.”

That wasn’t the word he would have chosen, but she was the one spending all day with them. Owen nodded, wondering if that’s what she had been trying to say. “All right. Well, I should … I need rest. There’s another day ahead of us and twice the work.”

She hesitated. “Right, yes. Well, I … you’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to … I’ll return to the kitchen. My apologies for … for bothering you. Good night.”

“Good night.” The words came out short, but he was too tired to care. Sighing, he turned into his room. Owen stood and waited to hear her footsteps. He’d grown used to listening to her moving around, becoming gradually comfortable with another set of footsteps walking around inside the house.

She finally turned around and pattered to the kitchen. The woman worked quietly, and he was grateful for that. Owen sighed, rolling the kinks out of his neck before walking to his bed. It was a large one, meant for two people. But since Jenna’s passing, Owen couldn’t imagine letting someone else even in the room. Ruby knew that, he was sure. She had a roof over her head and children to care for. What more did a woman need?

***

Ruby wondered this as well as she wrapped the fresh loaf of bread. It wasn’t the best, but she was improving. Soon she’d be a true woman in the Wild West. It made her smile. At least something was going right.

Every day was a new opportunity to learn something new. The children had grown accustomed to her now and not only did they love to play with her, but she loved to play with them. They were darling children. Was this what it was like to be a mother? Why wasn’t everyone a mother if this was the joy they could feel? It wasn’t just about the laughter, but about the sense of security and wonder and the idea that tomorrow meant even more joy and adventures.

But even as much as she loved it, Ruby had realized at supper that she wanted just one more thing. Surely that didn’t make her selfish? If she could feel this way with the children, then couldn’t she feel this with Owen? And couldn’t he feel the same? She’d read the children a story as they curled up close by their father, and everything had felt so wonderful. Surely he had noticed it as well. It was hard not to wonder if he might ever change his mind about her.

As Ruby scrubbed, she tried to think. Her lips moved as she prayed to the Lord for guidance. Somehow she couldn’t get herself to be so humble as to not ask for the love of her husband. Trying to make it easier, she asked for help to reach his heart. There was pain; she saw that now. He wasn’t angry or mean; he was stern and sad. The past still clung to him.

She prayed as she washed, dried, and tidied the kitchen before retiring. Then she prayed on her knees until, at last, an idea came to her. It wasn’t going to be easy, she told the Lord, but she’d try her best.

***

The following morning, she heard Owen rise as he always did, right before the sun. His heavy footsteps moved in the same pattern they always did. As he started to the other side of the house, Ruby hurried to follow.

Dress on, hair pinned, shoes laced. Hurriedly, she rushed after him. How did he move so fast? Wrapping a shawl around her shoulders, she trailed Owen to the barn. There was a sharp wind blowing that made her eyes sting, but she was resolved to carry out her new plan.

“What are you doing?”

She’d just stepped inside and jumped, a hand over her chest. Ruby’s eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light as she found Owen standing by a table.

Trying not to lose her confidence, Ruby stepped forward and offered a cheerful grin. At least she hoped that’s what it looked like. “You mentioned how much work there was to do. The children won’t be up for a while longer, so I wanted to come help you. What can I do?”

For a minute he stared at her, as though trying to decide if she was lying or hiding something. So she kept the hopeful smile on her face as she stepped a little closer, glancing around the large space. She’d had a look in here during her arrival, but it had only been for a moment.

“You’re not from around here,” Owen said reluctantly. “You don’t know how to do anything.”

“No, sir,” she confessed, then hurriedly tried to make up for it. “But I can learn. And I’ll do it quickly. We can cut the load in half, can’t we? That … that’s what marriage is about. Helping each other.” The words spilled out awkwardly, but she was running out of steam.

His expression didn’t change. Ruby wondered if she should just return to bed. It was certainly warmer. But that meant giving up, and she didn’t want to do that. Licking her lips, she tried to think of something more to say.

Before she did, he sighed. “All right. It’s time you learned to milk a cow. And just call me Owen.” Her heart skipped a beat, and Ruby beamed. That had to be a step in the right direction.

Nothing was easy. But she hadn’t expected it to be. Listening to his instructions carefully, Ruby did her best to learn the right way, and quickly. The cows were milked, the chickens were fed, and then they collected the eggs as the sun was rising. Her chest heaved as they returned to the hill. Everything was hard, and she had loved every minute.

“That’ll be everything for now.” Owen wiped his brow. “You can use those to break your fast, or perhaps for supper.”

Clutching the basket to her chest, Ruby glanced around. “Are you sure that’s everything I can do? I mean, I …”

“The children will be up soon,” he reminded her sternly. “And I need to get out to move the cattle across the river. It’ll be a long day. Tomorrow, I’ll work on harvesting the corn.” She watched him gesture. “Just watch the children and have something for me on the table tonight.” And he walked away.

Her heart sank a little, listening to him sound as sharp as ever. Biting her lip, Ruby sighed and watched him return to the barn to retrieve his saddle. “One day at a time,” she twitched her nose as her fingers danced. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Chapter Seven

When Owen returned late that night, he found not only supper, but a slice of peach pie sitting on the table waiting for him. It smelled delicious. His stomach grumbled, and he dug right in. He was licking his plate clean when he noticed that the other side of the table was covered. His brow furrowed, wondering why Ruby had left a mess.

To his surprise, when he looked further, there was corn. One basket was completely filled with ears of corn. He touched one just to be certain he wasn’t dreaming. Curious, he glanced into the next pot and found it tightly covered with corn kernels. It meant a few hours of work.

Tucked beneath the third pot, he found his farming book. So he wasn’t crazy. Ruby must have found his book and followed the instructions. From the looks of it, she had followed them perfectly. He scratched his head. Why? Owen hesitated, glancing down the hall to see if she might still be awake. But there was no light from her closed door. Of course she was asleep. He should be asleep as well. He could think in the morning.

***

Ruby showed up again. This time, she was waiting at the back door. Owen hesitated, wondering what to say. Did she really want to be up this early? “Good morning,” she offered.

Owen opened the door. “Morning.” They started the walk down to the barn together in silence. He kept glancing at her. Though he found himself wanting to say something, he just didn’t know what. “Ruby?”

“Yes, Owen?” She glanced up at him with that smile.

He swallowed. “Do you need help milking? With the cows, I mean. If I left you to that?”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “You think I’m good enough to do it on my own already?”

His lips twitched. “Well, I suppose I could watch you for a bit, just to be sure. But you might be.” Owen watched her smile widen. “Come on.” He led the way as Ruby grabbed the pail and stool.

“So first …” she paused before reaching for the cow’s udder and glanced at her sleeves. “Oh, I got these dirty yesterday.” Ruby rolled them up. It made him smile, remembering how he used to make that mistake as well. The light flickered, impressing shadows across her arms.

But they stayed, even as the light changed again. He leaned forward. Ruby talked quietly to herself, repeating his instructions. His eyes watched her arms. There were scratches or scars; he couldn’t tell. But there were certainly bruises. Fading yellow, but bruises nonetheless. He thought back. She was a little clumsy, but not terribly.

“How’s this?” Ruby turned to him.

Owen glanced at the cow. “It’s good,” he managed. “You can squeeze a little tighter.” He straightened, telling himself not to be silly. She was fine. And she was good at milking cows. Soon he decided she was good on her own and went to the hay.

When he was finished, she had already moved on and sent the eggs to the kitchen. Ruby glanced at the rising sun. “Oh, isn’t that lovely? Mornings are my favorite time of day.” She grinned, watching the colored streaks litter the sky before turning to Owen. “I tried my hand at harvesting the corn. I hope you don’t mind that I … I found your book, you see, and I wanted to help. And the children, they had a lot of fun shucking the ears. What else are you growing?”

She pointed to the wide expanse, and this time his gaze wouldn’t leave her bare arm. He could see her bare elbow now and couldn’t ignore it. “Did you burn yourself?”

The girl gasped at his touch while he inspected the wound. It had been a while since he’d seen anything like this, but if he had any guess, it was a few months old. “No, it’s nothing, I didn’t. He just—” Ruby covered the mark as she tugged free. “It’s nothing, Owen, I’m fine. It’s … it’s nothing.”

He tried to read between the words. But she wouldn’t look at him. If she was going to hide something, however, Owen couldn’t do anything about it. He shrugged it off and pointed out the other areas on the ranch; he told her about his plans and she listened carefully, asking questions here and there.

Ruby glanced up at the house. “I think … I think it might be nice if we attended church. Just once in a while. The preacher seemed nice, didn’t he? I was—it just might be—the children might like it, and … Well?”

Owen hesitated. “I don’t know.” Her smile tightened. All of a sudden he didn’t want to disappoint her. Where had that come from? So he tried to think of a compromise. “Perhaps. Not this Sunday, but … the next. I’ll plan ahead, and we could make that happen. Besides, we need supplies from town.”

“Wonderful!” She turned to go but hesitated. “Should we, I wonder, expect you tonight?”

“For …” He cocked his head. “Oh.” Supper. “Yes, I should manage that.” He watched her go, suddenly feeling like he didn’t know her at all. The other day he had supposed she was just another girl. But as he got to work on the ranch, Owen couldn’t stop thinking about Ruby.

***

On the way up to the house that night, he found himself whistling. The hat went on the chair, boots went off, and he paused to hear Parker singing. Ruby clapped her hands to keep the beat as he sang the hymn.

“Oh, that’s just lovely!” He heard her cry out when Parker finished, clapping loudly. “Goodness, Parker. You’ll be quite the musician in the family.” Then she smiled as she glanced back at Owen, though he didn’t know how she had noticed his silent arrival. “And there’s your father. Time for supper. Parker, help your sister wash up, will you?”

Parker nodded. “Hi, Pa!” he said cheerfully as they passed. The little girl waved the wooden horse in the air as her greeting. Owen found himself grinning as he trailed behind to wash up as well. Once everyone was clean, they joined Kate at the table as she dished out the potatoes.

He offered a short blessing and they all dug in. Three bites in, however, and Ruby yawned. Owen paused, slowly munching as he considered the woman across from him. Her eyes kept drooping, and she didn’t eat much. When she stood to start washing up, he stood as well.

Ruby’s eyes widened. He lifted a hand. “You’re asleep on your feet,” he pointed out more loudly than he intended. Though she opened her mouth to respond, Owen continued. This time he tried to speak more gently. “Parker, Kate, thank Ruby for supper. She’s going to bed. We’ll clean up tonight.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to—there’s still the fire—are you certain?” The young woman watched as he stepped around the table and took her by the elbow to move her from the seat, which he tucked away. “I’m not really that tired, Owen. It’s—” but she yawned before she could finish her statement.

A small chuckle escaped his lips. “Sure you’re not. Kiss the children good night. I’ve got everything else taken care of. We can’t have you running yourself ragged every day.” Then he let go.

She obeyed, going to each of the children to kiss them good night. They giggled, making faces at her. As she showed her right side to Owen, he noticed a scar trailing down her cheek. It was faint, but it was nearly four inches long. Where had that come from? What else had he not noticed? He frowned, watching as she nodded his way and left.

She hadn’t said good night to him, he noticed, and felt strangely left out. Owen watched the dark hallway with a tight sensation in his chest. He tried to ignore Ruby, but she was impressive. The woman was trying hard to help, after all. She was running the house, watching the children, and now, helping out in the barn. He glanced down the hall and then at the children, playing with their food. Owen reminded himself of his wife, his real wife. Jenna. Usually she was the only one on his mind.

He needed to think straight. He was just growing comfortable with Ruby, that’s all. It was nothing more than cordial respect.

Chapter Eight

Day by day, waking up with Owen grew easier for Ruby. And soon, Owen found himself enjoying their time together. There were mornings where they talked, and others where they were quiet. Cows were milked, the animals fed, and they started harvesting the land together.

Afterwards, he’d leave for the day to come home with supper on the table, as well as other work efforts she put together. She made preserves, mended his shirts, and knitted new socks. Owen found himself making an effort to make most evening meals. Not just to enjoy them hot, but to spend time reading stories with the children, and to help tidy up afterwards.

Then, as he promised, they finally headed into town for church one Sunday. Ruby sighed happily as they arrived. It felt like a lifetime ago when they had stepped inside to be wed. It was a beautiful day, and she had missed singing hymns in the crowd. She paused under the doorway thoughtfully, which gave Kate time to tug on her skirts and wave her hand.

How could it have only been a month? Ruby smiled at the child as she took her hand, leading the way inside. Her smile slipped for a moment as she looked out to the sea of strangers. There were so many people. And they were all staring.

Owen bumped into her from behind, then stepped back and set a hand on her shoulder. She swallowed and looked up. “Let’s sit there,” he told her. “Just ignore them. All they want is gossip.”

She obeyed, and the little family got themselves situated. Soon the preacher started his sermon. Owen glanced at Ruby. Her smile from the wagon ride into town had disappeared when they’d stepped inside. He didn’t blame her, seeing as the town was always nosy for a new story. It was one of the reasons he didn’t like to come around. But her gaze focused on the preacher and she seemed to relax.

It was a nice dress on her, he noticed. She didn’t wear it often, but the colors made her eyes brighter. Sunlight streamed in through the window beside her, tinted to give Ruby a rosy hue. It also made the scar look more red than he hoped it was. Frowning, he tried to figure out where it might have come from. At least he didn’t see any more bruises. Owen wondered if that was a consolation. Sighing, he told himself he could worry about that later. After church, perhaps.

When church ended, Owen hurried them out. They’d sat in a row near the back, and that helped them escape the crowd before anyone could talk to them. Ruby smiled politely, and he tipped his hat to those beside them, but they made it to the wagon before any real conversations took place. Just the way he liked it. And she appeared relieved as well.

“That was nice,” Ruby announced as they all piled into the wagon. “Careful, Kate. Watch for splinters. And you know what I was thinking about? A picnic. Who wants to go on a picnic today?”

“I want to eat outside!”

“Eat! Me eat!”

She beamed and settled in her seat, fiddling with the skirt to make sure it wasn’t stuck on anything. As she fluffed the fabric, Owen’s gaze dropped to the scar again. Her dress had shorter sleeves, just above her elbows, and it seemed to glare at him in the sunlight.

Frowning, he gestured, and opened his mouth to ask. It was about time she told him the truth. But Ruby clapped a hand over the scar to block it from his view. Owen looked up and found her staring right back. Clearing her throat loudly, Ruby tried to smile. “Well, Owen? Shall we picnic this afternoon?”

He hesitated. “We need to get some supplies first. Then there’s work to do.”

“If I helped later,” she offered, “I think you could join us for a moment. The children would love it, I—I think. We could do it right by the peach tree, perhaps?”

Owen tsked to the horses and they started rolling down the street. He wanted to focus on his first concern, making sure the woman beside him was fine. “I don’t know, Ruby. Are you ever going to tell me about that? About any of those scars?”

“Later,” she muttered and looked away.

“Later at the picnic?” Owen asked. When she didn’t respond, he glanced at her. Ruby’s gaze was down, avoiding his eyes. Her fingers sat impatiently in her lap, tapping against her knees in a frenzy. He opened his mouth to ask again in case she hadn’t heard, but she offered a sharp nod. So she would tell him.

They turned down the street as he tried to think what might be going on inside her head. He made two stops on their way out of town for supplies that he and Ruby had discussed. Once everything was loaded up, they made for home.

***

After behaving quietly all morning, Kate and Parker were bundles of energy upon arriving home. Ruby found herself growing impatient with them but forced herself to calm down. What was bothering her? She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and told Parker to go change into his play clothes. As Owen unloaded the goods, Ruby went with Kate to help her switch outfits as well.

She gathered sandwiches and berries in a basket as the children decided on which of two blankets they would take outside. Owen grew exasperated and chose for them. It silenced them, and they pouted until they were outside and running around the tree.

Ruby swallowed hard when Owen joined her on the blanket. It wasn’t that he’d sat down, in particular, but it was about how close they were. Her gaze dropped to find their hands only inches apart. Her stomach fluttered. She felt so nervous. What had happened to her? She’d been wanting him to want her for a while now. She’d set her plan in motion, and it looked like it was working. She had no reason to be so anxious.

But she was. As the children ran around, it meant she was alone with her husband. Ruby avoided looking at him for as long as she could. Though she wanted them to be close, she had hoped he wouldn’t mention the scars. They were from another life, after all. What would he think of her when he knew the truth? She tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat.

As Parker and Kate crouched over an anthill, Ruby picked at her food. It was only a moment later, however, when a large hand wrapped around her elbow. She stiffened but allowed Owen to turn her arm towards him and brush his fingers across the scar in the crook of her elbow. To her surprise, he was very gentle as he studied it. Yet it didn’t stop her stomach from churning, wondering what he might think once he knew.

Chapter Nine

“A year old,” he said decidedly as he compared it to the nearby burn. She could feel his gaze on her. Even as she tried not to look, she could feel the heat climbing into her cheeks. “It required stitches, didn’t it?”

It had not been one of the finer moments in the Gebhart home. She remembered the homemade stitches and infection that had come after her father had flung an already broken plate at her. Though she had meant to catch it, her fingers had slipped. Ruby sighed with a nod. Maybe he deserved to know. If he hadn’t hit her yet, surely he wouldn’t start now.

“What happened?”

She opened her mouth twice before she could find the words. “My father.” Her other hand danced alone on her thigh. “He wasn’t a typical, you know, father … it’s just, you see, growing up … he drank. A lot.”

His thumb ran over the scar. “So that’s why you came west.”

Ruby shrugged, eyes still on the last of the blackberries. “Oh, you know. I—I always wanted to come out here. I heard stories. I simply—I had to … I had to get out.” She blinked, squeezing the tears back.

“Was he always …” Owen trailed off.

“For as long as I can remember, he would drink,” Ruby forced the words out. “And it made him meaner. I couldn’t—and I tried, but he just … I got better. This was the last one,” she gestured to her ear. “The bottle smashed next to my head.” His silence made Ruby nervous, and she found herself rambling. “I ran once. I tried, but he just … I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t go anywhere. My friend, I had one, but he didn’t love me enough to—to help, you see, and then this happened and I—I saw your ad. I thought, maybe?

“I was nervous. Very nervous. I wasn’t certain, of course. West, east, men are … you know? That is, they can be like that. Sometimes they aren’t. You aren’t. You haven’t been. And it’s been …”

Ruby glanced up into Owen’s eyes. They were a stormy green beneath his furrowed brow. “It’s been what?” he asked finally.

She swallowed hard and glanced at how he still held her arm. “Nice. It’s been … nice.”

That’s when he realized they were still touching. Owen jerked back and dropped her arm. Ruby glanced to the children as he digested her words. Anything could happen to her, she decided. As long as it didn’t happen to them.

He watched her for a minute, trying to sort through his emotions. There were so many thoughts in his head now that he was struggling to comprehend. He was tired of looking at that scar now; his stomach all twisted inside. It represented something that no one deserved, especially Ruby. How could anyone have wanted to harm her? The woman was smart, caring, clever, and kind. Her father was a blasted fool. He had half a mind to go east and let the man know.

Those were the thoughts that frightened Owen. He wasn’t used to feeling this type of protectiveness for someone else. Yet under the apple tree with Ruby, something bright sprang into his chest. All because of the knots in his stomach and the scar on her arm. None of it made sense. Owen scratched his head and tried to think. He had to say something.

“He was a fool,” he murmured. “No one will ever hurt you again. Not here.”

Ruby turned to him with wide eyes. The firm kindness in his tone was unexpected. She opened her mouth to say something, but Kate came screaming over to them as Parker chased her with a worm.

They didn’t have a chance to continue their serious conversation as the children kept them occupied with games and laughter.

***

The picnic lasted until sunset, all four of them eventually cleaning up and returning inside. Ruby lay in her bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Something had most certainly happened. Her heart was pounding. And those kind words he had said. A small smile crept to her lips.

It was the following morning, as they worked quietly, that Ruby realized that they still had a ways to go. He knew about her past, but she knew nothing of his. She didn’t even know the name of his first wife, the one who had died and left him feeling all alone in the world. Her heart reached out to him, but she didn’t know how to let him know she cared.

After that picnic, it was clear he cared. If he would just talk to her, Ruby thought, and really talked, then perhaps he could move beyond his grief. And if he could move beyond his grief, then perhaps he could move forward with her. Maybe even love again. Though the thought felt selfish, Ruby knew that it would be better for all of them as well. Especially the children.

Kate had called her “mama” again, but this time without Owen around. The child was so innocent and she knew little else. Ruby had merely wrapped the girl tight in her arms to snuggle her for a precious moment. They could worry about the semantics later. Yet she wanted it to happen again, and she wanted Owen to accept that. To invite the idea in their home.

So consumed in her thoughts was she that Ruby hardly noticed when it was time for him to leave for the cattle. Standing by the chicken coop, she leaned against a post and watched him head towards the valley. Usually she returned inside, but this time she lingered. To her surprise, she saw Owen pause at the end of the grove.

Ruby took a step forward, wondering if something was wrong. The man knelt down and touched something beside the trunk of the tree. She cocked her head curiously but could not tell what it was. Had he dropped something? Did he usually do this?

Soon he was back on his horse and traveling north again. She could see the cattle far ahead, like dark spots. Ruby considered going down to find out what was going on, but she thought of the children and decided to turn around for the house instead. Another time, she decided.

“But soon,” Ruby added to herself in a resolved manner.

***

It was nearly a week later when the three of them made their way down into the grove. They needed to gather the last of the apples before the freezing winds struck. Everything was such an adventure, especially with the children. They made the time fly and were eager to please. Parker and Kate carried the baskets as Ruby brought a ladder from the house.

“Can I climb?” Parker asked hopefully, once they settled on a tree to begin.

“You can climb the ladder later,” she gave him a look. “But you’re not climbing the trees with me around. We don’t need you breaking any limbs. Now the serious question is, are you good at catching?”

He nodded with his wide eyes. “Good. Because I am going to shake the limbs, and I need you to make sure we don’t bruise the apples. They don’t taste as good when they’re bruised, do they?”

“Nope!” He popped the word out with a grin. “What about Kate?”

They glanced at the girl sitting happily on her blanket right out of the way. “Kate is … safe,” Ruby said decidedly. “We both need to keep an eye on her. Soon she’s going to outrun you!”

He laughed. “Nuh-uh!”

She grinned, climbing the ladder. “Yeah-huh. Now get ready!”

They’d filled an entire basket before Ruby remembered the little girl. She turned to check on Kate. The blanket was in a heap, and her little girl was gone. Her heart dropped. “Kate?” Ruby ran to the blanket. It wasn’t the first time she’d lost sight of the toddler before. But usually they were in the house, and Parker knew all of her hiding spots. “Kate! Where are you?”

“Oh.” The little boy joined her side and pointed. “Maybe she’s talking to Mother.”

She froze. “What did you say?”

Parker tugged on her hand. “Let’s go see if Mother knows.”

The thoughts in her head became jumbled and confused as she tried to understand what the child was saying. Children often spoke in riddles, but she had to wonder. It was only when he brought her to the other edge of the grove that Ruby understood.

All the tension and fear in her chest dissipated as she found Kate touching a standing piece of wood. She was repeating to herself rather proudly, “Mama!”

“Kate,” Ruby sighed in relief and hurried over to scoop the girl up. “You don’t run off like that. Understood? My dear, I was so worried.” She kissed the girl’s ruddy cheeks three times before turning to the dark marker.

Words were carved in it, and that’s when she realized it was a grave marker. And it was the spot she had seen Owen stop by. “‘Daughter, wife, mother,’” Ruby whispered. “Oh.”

Parker came over to join them, and she wrapped an arm around him as well. “Do you miss her?”

He nodded. “Kate never knew Mama, but—but he lets us see her. He talks to her a lot. I like talking to you. You hug me.” His eyes were so big and blue. Ruby realized that the children’s blue eyes didn’t match their father’s, which meant they were their mother’s. Her heart went out to them, and then to Owen as well.

“So this is where he goes every morning,” she breathed softly.

Chapter Ten

It took another month, but Owen was able to hire two ranch hands who were passing through town looking for work. At last he wasn’t on his own with the cattle now. They bunked in the old house, closer to the animals, and Ruby prepared their noonday meals that Owen took with him in the mornings. The change was small, but it helped as the days grew shorter.

Especially since they allowed him to come home in time for supper more often. In fact, there was time to wash up, play with Parker and Kate, and then eat around the table as a family.

The change was an easy one to make. He paused after stoking the fire, looking at the little family before him, curled up in their blankets. The nights were growing chilly, and there would be snow soon. But none of them sounded disappointed. Already, Ruby was excited to use the snowshoes he’d made, and the children were impatient for snowball fights. His eyes drifted from one to the next, his chest feeling tight again.

That happened a lot lately, and he was learning to enjoy the sensation. Somehow, his heart was softening in a way he had no longer thought possible. Though he still visited his wife every morning, his thoughts were more focused on the next opportunity he would have to play with the children and work alongside Ruby.

She laughed loudly at one of Parker’s jokes. It wasn’t a very funny one for it made little sense. But she squeezed the boy tightly, who beamed brighter than the sun. That was something else the girl—no, he had to stop calling her that; she was a woman—had been able to do. Now when he came home, the children shouted for joy and ran to hug him. Parker and Kate were happy children now, loud and eager to learn. It was noisy, but even that felt right.

Until they started reading the scriptures. They were diving into Ephesians, and Ruby was reading aloud. Owen held Kate in his lap as she traced the stitching of his sleeves up and down. Everything felt right until she brought up the scripture and read aloud, “And a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife.”

There were more scriptures that followed, words that tumbled innocently out of Ruby’s mouth with one hand holding the scriptures and the other tracing the words she spoke, to let Parker keep an eye on the reading. The soft feelings inside him froze as he thought of his first wife.

It was still too strange to consider Ruby his wife. They had come into their own, working alongside one another and tending to the family in their separate ways. Though they talked more often and could be considered friends, Owen was still committed to his first wife. But as Ruby read the scriptures now, he wondered what God would say. What Jenna would have said.

He wasn’t being true to her. Swallowing hard, he glanced away. The thudding in his heart grew louder until it blocked out all the sounds, including Ruby’s voice. For a minute, all he wanted to do was set Kate down and run off to see Jenna. But it was dark and it was late. Owen stiffened and shook his head to himself. He was being ridiculous. He could talk to her in the morning.

“Owen? Is everything all right?” Ruby watched him with a concerned expression across her pretty face. Not that he noticed how pretty she was, seeing as it didn’t matter. He looked away to stop thinking about her. To stop thinking about everything.

Thinking fast, he yawned and stretched. “It’s getting late. I think I’ll retire early.”

“Oh. All right then. Of course, you look exhausted. Children, tell your papa to sleep well tonight.”

“Are we done reading?”

“I wanna weed,” Kate pouted as Owen set her down. “Weed! Weed!”

Ruby put out a hand to the child to usher her over. Soon, both children were in her lap. If Owen had been in a better mood, he might have laughed. The children were getting big, but Ruby was still a slight woman and couldn’t see the book in front of them now. Rubbing his forehead, he turned away. There were too many distractions to think clearly.

***

“Sleep, Papa,” the children chorused and giggled to themselves.

“Sleep well,” Ruby corrected them as she watched her husband exit the room. The man had turned pale, and she wondered if he was all right. Perhaps she should rise even earlier to get a few more things done before he woke up. Would he sleep in if she asked him to? Ruby doubted it. They had become good friends, but she worried he thought nothing more of her.

And that hurt. It hurt the way he covered his eyes, not looking at her. A lump formed in her throat as she listened to his slow, heavy steps as Owen walked down the hall, and then there was the creaking of his bedroom door. She had never been in there. That was the one space in the house she had never been, and it bothered her.

How long would it take him to see her as his wife? His companion, his helpmeet? She loved her new life. And she hated to be selfish, but she wanted her husband as well. Ruby wanted to know what it was like to be loved, to feel more than fondness. While she felt it for him, more deeply than she had meant for it to happen, somehow the change of heart in him she was hoping for was simply not happening.

Ruby finished reading the scriptures to the children before setting them off to bed. The kitchen was already cleaned, so she retired into her own little room with the little bed and the little window and little else. She sighed, unbraiding her hair as she prayed for strength to endure and faith that her plan would work. It had been in motion for weeks now, and she was out of ideas.

Only when morning came did the thought come to Ruby. They were finishing up in the yard with the three sheep he had just purchased, and he was about to go meet the ranch hands. The moment Owen tipped his hat her way, her eyes glanced towards the grove of trees.

“Owen?” Ruby sucked in a deep breath as he turned to her. “Can I … I mean, I simply want to—I wish that, could I possibly … may I meet your wife?” Her heart beat against her chest so hard that it hurt. She pulled her hands together tight and waited.

He turned to give her a measuring look. The hat was back on, creating a shadow across his eyes that she couldn’t read. Eventually, Owen glanced out towards the trees and nodded. His grip tightened on the horse’s rope. Then he took a step forward and jerked his head for her to follow.

Chapter Eleven

She prayed as they walked. It might have been a terrible idea. The thought of it sounded so terribly ridiculous. Especially when it was said out loud. As they moved closer to the headstone that the children had showed her, her stomach grew tighter. Wrapping her arms around herself, Ruby tried to gather her nerves.

“Here.” Owen gestured lightly off the path, leaving the horse there as it knew to stand and wait. Her husband cleared his throat and stood in his usual spot before the grave marker. And this time, Ruby stood beside him.

The man was tall and silent. His presence was overwhelming, like the hot sun. A droplet of sweat ran down her forehead. Wiping it away, Ruby glanced up and then at the gravestone. Her heart skipped a beat. What was she to do now? She swallowed, trying to think.

“What’s her name?” Her voice came out much more strained than Ruby planned.

He sighed softly. “Jenna. Her name was Jenna.”

Nodding, Ruby rubbed her hands together and took a step forward. The name might have been on there once, but it had already faded. It was a shame, already being lost to the world. But not to the family she had built. If it hadn’t been for Jenna, Ruby wouldn’t be here now.

“Good morning, Jenna,” she offered to the grave. Her voice cracked, and Owen lifted his head to watch her. Confused, he wondered if she had gone crazy. But Ruby continued to talk out loud. “I’m sorry we haven’t met until now. I’m Ruby. I … I’m here with your husband, Owen, and I asked him to introduce us.

“I just wanted to come say … hello. And to thank you for letting me spend time with your family. Owen is a wonderful caretaker, and he’s so committed to this ranch and to your beautiful children. Parker is, oh, he’s so darling. He’s clever, and his voice is incredible. I—I’m sure he remembers you singing and thinks of you when he’s singing those hymns. And Kate. I’m so sorry you never had a chance to know her. But I’d like to imagine the two of you are just alike. She giggles constantly and wants to learn about everything. And she has your eyes, just like Parker. I’d like to think that I’m getting to know you through them.”

That strange sensation was flooding Owen’s heart again. No, it had crashed through and was making its way through his entire body. At first, everything felt wrong. Apprehension made him reach out to Ruby with an arm on her shoulder. But the more she talked, the warmer he felt. Owen’s throat tightened as Ruby wrapped her hand over his.

“I’m sorry, Jenna,” the woman sighed softly. “I’m so sorry you’re not able to hold your children or sing them to sleep. If I could … If I could ask for forgiveness, Jenna, for not having asked you first if it’s all right for me to be here. But if you will let me take care of your family, I promise I’ll do my best for you. For them.”

A tidal wave of warmth collided against the wall of pain Owen had been storing for the past two years. In that moment, Owen realized his faults. The truth was right there. Ruby was right there in front of him. The Holy Spirit and God had been trying to tell him everything, but he’d been too dumb and cowardly to trust them.

His hand slipped down her arm to her hand. Slowly, he intertwined their fingers as he stepped up beside her. Owen glanced from the grave to Ruby. The young woman’s eyes were misty as she offered him a small smile, hopeful that he approved.

It was the smile that she usually gave him. He’d thought it was shy, but now Owen realized that it was her way of asking if she was doing all right. As though she had to ask for approval to do anything. He felt foolish for not having noticed. Hadn’t he told her that no one would hurt her ever again? What good could he possibly do for her if she felt she had to ask for approval over everything?

The wall came down, and to his surprise, the old expected pain was gone. Instead, the warmth melted everything. Relief ebbed through his body as he squeezed her hand. Ruby had put forth so much effort, more than he could have possibly imagined. From loving the children to helping him with the animals, Ruby had been doing her best all along to be part of the family.

All he had done was leave her be, restricting her to the small bedroom. He tried to think of something to say as she turned to him, cocking her head. The soft curls framed her face and emphasized the sweet crinkle of her eyes. He straightened his shoulders and met her gaze after glancing at Jenna’s resting place.

He had felt her presence lately, a few times, late in the evening. But only now did he realize what she had been trying to tell him. It was time to let go. Jenna wanted him to move on. It was okay, and had been all along, and especially now that Ruby was here.

“Thank you.” Owen’s voice was scratchy as he tried to find the right words. “I … I think she would have liked you a lot. Jenna, I mean. You’ve been … wonderful. When I put in the ad, I wasn’t certain what would happen. But now it makes sense. God was in the mix. You’ve been working so hard, and I’ve just … I haven’t tried like you have. You’ve changed everything. The house, the children …”

She studied his face with a small half smile. “That’s what you do when you’re married, Owen. You change things. You make things better.”

Then he shook his head. “No. This is different. You, you’ve made everything better. And I haven’t even tried. But I promise I’ve seen it. I want to do better. You make me want to do and be better. I haven’t felt this way in—in a long time, Ruby. I never thought I would again.”

She blinked back tears. “Owen, I’ve only ever wanted to do right by you and the kids. I’d take anything I can out here. Even if you never … if we never … but you should know I love you. Jenna knows, and God knows, so you should too. I love Parker, I love Kate, and I love you.”

The lump in his throat disappeared. She was taking the words right out of him, and Owen was stunned. For a minute, he studied her face, wondering how this could be possible. He saw the scar on her neck, the freckles on her cheeks, the long eyelashes, then the plump lips. She was beautiful inside and out with her kindness, her warmth, her strength, her hope. The thoughts and emotions kept flowing over him, and he couldn’t take it anymore. They would not be ignored.

The pale pink and orange rays of a new dawn emerged behind Ruby, but for once, it was not the view that he cared for. She shone even brighter than the sun to him. Not knowing how to put it into words, Owen tugged her hand. Ruby teetered off balance, only to fall into his arms. They collided into one, and he took her face in one hand, urging her closer. Her body instinctively understood, not needing words before their lips met.

He closed his eyes against the light of the morning rays. The dawn was beautiful, but there would never be a moment such as this one. Ruby agreed, unable to help herself from smiling as she kissed him a second time and a third. His arm tightened around her waist, pressing the two of them together.

They could hardly breathe, but they had never been happier. She had hoped for something good to happen. But she could never have guessed she would feel this good. It was going to be a wonderful day. A very, very wonderful day.

The End