Authors: Alice White
Chapter Four
“I wanted to come down here so we could get to know each other, since we are husband and wife,” Gavin said. He rode them down in the wagon but it would have made a nice walk through the wildflowers.
“Good idea. It was a pleasant surprise when you suggested it this morning.”
“Nell didn’t think so. I’ll be happy when she and Uncle Caleb move into the city. It’s better suited for them because this was never really home to them. After my parents died, they promised to stay until I got me a wife.”
“That’s why you had to write away for one. But I’m curious, who’s Mary Horning?”
“I was planning to marry Mary Horning but she moved to the city. Ranch life wasn’t what she wanted, which was surprising because she grew up on a ranch outside of Olean. We were sweethearts for years but she was swept off her feet by a city slicker and the rest is history.”
“Did she break your heart?” Jenny asked.
“She broke it right in two, but thinking back we never could have been happy. I hardly know you, Jenny, but your positive outlook was visible immediately. It was apparent before you arrived because you traveled all this way without even knowing me.”
“I didn’t care what was in Texas because there was nothing left for me in Boston. On my journey here, I heard of horrible stories about bad things happening to women in the west. There were people on the train talking about rape or women being locked out of the house and made to sleep in the barn. When I saw you, I knew I had gotten lucky.”
Gavin picked a daisy, placed it in Jenny’s hair, and brushed Jenny’s cheek with his hand. She jumped and caught her breath.
“I’m sorry, did I hurt you? There could have been a thorn on the stem,” Gavin said.
“No, Gavin. I was startled and your touch was warm. I didn’t expect this to be so easy but as I spend time with you, all I can think of is being with you more. I never had this sense before.”
“We’re married, Jenny, and I think our feelings are like a stroke of good luck. Something I think we both deserve in our lives. I lost my folks, had my heart broken, and you were married to a crook. It’s meant to be that we enjoy this beautiful place together.”
Gavin put his hands around Jenny’s waist and held her tight as the midday sun beat down. Jenny was feeling absolute bliss for the first time in her adult life. Gavin was unexpected and she doubted she even deserved such happiness. Her feelings came to a halt as he rubbed his hands down her back and noticed the buttons unfastened.
“Your buttons have come loose. Let’s get this silly coat off and do something about this.”
Jenny jumped back and pulled her coat shut. “My dress doesn’t fit, Gavin.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, Jenny. We’ll buy you one that does fit. We’ll buy you an entire new wardrobe if you want; we’ll go to Huston and buy matching sets that are more appropriate for the warm weather. The only problem will be finding something as beautiful as you are.”
Jenny burst into tears and Gavin was confused by her sudden mood change. He crinkled his nose as he tried to understand what was happening.
“You’d have to buy two dresses in order to make one that will fit me.”
“Jenny, I think I missed something. You aren’t fat, in fact, I think you could gain a few pounds. Did that horrible husband of yours make you feel poorly about yourself?”
Jenny stood up as a bewildered Gavin sat on a log. “I’m going to have a baby, Gavin.”
“Yes, yes. We will have as many babies as you want but we can’t expect it too soon because I’ve only just kissed you. In order to have a baby, we…”
Jenny started to giggle through her tears. “I know how babies are made, Gavin. What I mean is that I’m pregnant now.”
“Oh.” Gavin took his hat off and raked his fingers through his dark hair.
“I only realized the night I got sick when you found me in the parlor. I didn’t mean to trap you, Gavin, and I will start my journey back to Boston tomorrow. I have a little money to get me started and I’ll sell my hair if I have to. I’ll leave and you’ll never have to see me again. At least Aunt Nell will have a good laugh.”
“I’m stunned by your revelation, Jenny. It makes sense now that you were queasy, but I never suspected because you are such a small thing. One thing I know for certain is that I’m not sending you back to Boston and you’re not selling your beautiful black hair.”
“Would it be possible for you to raise another man’s child as your own?”
“It’s not my willingness that’s the problem but what others would think. As time goes on and we have children of our own, others wouldn’t treat him the same. He would forever be the bastard child and I don’t think I could put that label on a person.”
“We don’t even share a bed together, Gavin. Nell would discover the lie and blame me for trapping you. It puts us in an untenable situation Gavin and going home to Boston is my only option.”
“Not to make you feel any worse, but your parents hardly want you either. I can’t imagine why they would castoff such a delicate blossom as you. The way you handle yourself with such grace in the face of the hardships. We’ll think of a way to make things right but I’ll need time to devise a plan.”
“I can help with that, Gavin, because I have a clever mind when it comes to getting out of jams. The only time I failed was when my late husband came home drunk and forced himself on me. Leonard was very large and even my genius excuses couldn’t help that night,” Jenny said as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
“Now, I’m the one who will be sick. If he were alive, I’d be tempted to put a bullet of my own in his head.”
“You’d have to stand in line, Gavin,” Jenny chuckled. “Leonard Fisk made a lot of enemies and I count myself as one of them. I don’t often speak poorly of the dead but for him I’ll make an exception. I have a solution: you should move into our bedroom.”
Gavin looked surprised but not disappointed.
“I’m not making a play for you but if you decide to raise this child as your own, we’ll have to make it look right. Nell won’t be here much longer but she’s snoopy and I wouldn’t want her to hear of my condition.”
“We have to focus on the positive. Our secret can be kept for a bit because you are of tiny stature. It would be a problem if Nell and Caleb were staying in Olean but Houston will be their new home. I’m sorry Nell has been uninviting. I’ve met angry bulls who weren’t as mean as her and I don’t think I realized it until you came into the picture.”
“We can’t lose sight of taking care of our ranch, Gavin. You said today you’re gonna show me how to milk a cow.”
“Jenny,” Gavin smiled. “You just referred to this place as
our
ranch. I like the sound of that.”
They climbed into the wagon and headed for the barn.
Chapter Five
The barn was lopsided and some of the boards were rotten but it was charming in a way. Jenny had seen barns outside of Boston but this one was authentic. To the left was a pigsty with a half dozen sows bathing in the mud. They looked happy and the mud, little did they know that Jenny had just eaten their family members for breakfast. Gavin pushed open the squeaky doors and the smell of manure smacked them in the face.
“Oops, I forgot about your delicate stomach. Aim for the pigsty, they’ll love it.”
Jenny laughed. “I’m not going to be sick. I like the smell. Maybe my sense of smell is off because I’m pregnant but it’s a smell I can get used to.”
“Good thing, Jenny, because manure is one thing we’ve got plenty of around here. Grab a couple of tin buckets from the shelf over there and I’ll set you out a stool. It doesn’t take much except for pulling on a teat and if the smell in here doesn’t bother you, then the worst part of it’s out of the way.”
“Gavin, did you just hear that?” Jenny looked around
“No, sounds around this place can take some getting used to. It was probably a barn owl or a horse scratching an itch.”
“I suppose,” Jenny said as she milked the cow and enjoyed the task. “How often do these cows have to be milked? I’m guessing once a week.”
“The udders will explode if you wait that long. You have a lot to learn about tending to this place but I don’t want you risking your health. I don’t know much about a pregnancy but I do know that it’s time for you to take it easy.”
“Without Nell and with me getting less able to help as my pregnancy continues, how will we manage things?”
“I have ranch hands that’ll be happy for the extra work and I’ve had a good year so I can afford to pay ‘em, too. I think we should head back to the house with this milk. It’ll spoil in the hot sun if we don’t get it into the icebox.”
“Excellent idea. I’ll get started on dinner if Nell hasn’t and you can move your things into our bedroom. For appearance only, of course.
“Of course, Jenny.” Gavin Winked and then he helped Jenny up off the stool.
“I’m not a china doll and I don’t need help. Thank you for the kindness.” Jenny blushed as Gavin put his hand on her tummy and then looked at her with his lucid green eyes.
“I said that I wasn’t sure about raising this child as my own but as every minute passes, I’m surer. I’m already looking forward to being a father to this child – my child.”
They both heard the door slam and Jenny was convinced that a person had been in there the whole time.
“I can see that you think an intruder or maybe a ghost is lurking about. I’ll check it out and prove you wrong.” Gavin kissed Jenny to calm her nerves, which worked because her fears subsided immediately. He looked around anyway. “We are the only humans in the barn, except for the baby, of course.”
“You’re really getting on board with this and I don’t know how I became so lucky. I’m just nervous that men seeking revenge on Leonard have followed me to Texas.”
“Don’t worry, Jenny, it’s my duty to protect you from them. I’ll fight to the death before I let anyone bring you harm.”
Gavin picked up the buckets of milk with his tanned muscular arms. He then escorted Jenny to the wagon and helped her up. He was a rancher with a rough exterior but he was mannerly and chivalrous at the same time. She couldn’t wait to be held in his arms where she would be forever safe. Jenny forgot about the obstacles she and Gavin had yet to climb and relished the happiness she was feeling. Jenny felt safe for the first time in her young life and it was a euphoric emotion.
“I’m going to the spare room to collect my things while you fix dinner with Nell. Remember, not a word about the baby. She’s leaving in a few days and then we can focus on the baby you’re carrying.” Gavin kissed Jenny on the lips and ran to the back bedroom.
Chapter Six
Nell was in the kitchen humming a tune and peeling carrots to add to the stew.
“Did you have a nice day, Jenny?” Nell asked.
“It was splendid and thank you for asking. I hope I’m not too late to help with dinner, am I?”
“No, but for tomorrow we have to bring up potatoes from the root cellar. How are you with heavy lifting?”
“Um, I. I’m not that strong but I’m sure that Gavin will be available to help.”
Nell was quiet for a moment before a smirk grew on her face. “Jenny my dear, I’m afraid your scam is up. I know you’re pregnant and know that it’s not my nephew’s baby. It belongs to your deceased husband and you couldn’t raise a Fisk in Boston so you decided to dump your mistake in Texas. I knew from the moment you stepped on to the train platform that you were trouble and a poor substitute for Mary Horning.”
“There was someone in the barn and it was you. Spying is wrong, Nell, and Gavin won’t stand for your behavior,” Jenny said confidently as she knew Gavin would support her.
“Spying is nothing compared to what you did. Saddling a rancher with a criminal’s child; how could you? What’s worse is that you knowingly brought danger along with you. Those men who want to exact revenge on you will take Gavin as well. I guess that’s how you were raised back east but we do things different here. Gavin isn’t my own child but he’s close and I want what’s best for him, which is not you, Jenny.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, Nell, but Gavin knows that I’m carrying another man’s child and he’s moving into our bedroom as we speak. I don’t even know why you’re bringing this up since you and Caleb are moving to Houston in a couple of days.”
“I’m not leaving when so much is at stake for Gavin. My departure is delayed if not cancelled. You are leaving Olean tomorrow without a word to Gavin.”
“I offered to leave but Gavin wouldn’t even consider it.”
“Sit down while I finish setting the table and I’ll tell you why. You were Jenny Fisk when you came here and couldn’t wait to shed the name. It’s to your advantage that no one from Boston finds you. They might do something to you and your baby or they would destroy your reputation here in Texas. In any event, Gavin would be negatively affected.”
“No one from Boston knows where I am.” Jenny still believed she would win the argument and expected Gavin to walk in and rescue her.
“If you don’t leave then I will send a telegram to your local paper in Massachusetts. Should I help you pack your things?”
Tears welled up in Jenny’s violet eyes. “Gavin won’t let this happen.”
“He won’t know. You’ll leave when he’s left for his day’s work.”
“I’ve nowhere to go and hardly any money.”
“There’s a place where unwed mothers can go in Houston. Your child will be given to loving parents, and after that, you’re on your own.”
Before Jenny could respond, Gavin showed up in the kitchen.
“Am I interrupting something? I sense tension in the room.” Gavin had sweat pooling at his temples from moving his things in the hot weather.
“Nothing at all, dear. Jenny and I were getting to know one another better. Isn’t that right, Jenny?”
“That’s right, Nell. Gavin your Aunt made a lovely Stew for the family but I’m feeling ill and I’m going to retire early.”
“Are you ok, Jenny?” Gavin worried that it was the baby. “You look pale. Did something happen to upset you?”
“No, nothing at all. It has been a long day and I’m better off calling it quits.” Jenny rushed off before Gavin could give her a kiss goodnight. She walked out of the kitchen to listen to his conversation with Nell. She cowered in the hallway as she heard Caleb come in and join them for dinner; he seemed to know nothing of Nell’s plan.
Nell started the conversation as she hatched the second part of her scheme. “Now that you have a wife Gavin, it won’t mean much that Mary Horning is back in Olean and living at her parent’s ranch.”
Caleb spoke before Gavin had a chance. “Surely he doesn’t care because Gavin seemed to get lucky and Jenny is a charming and capable girl.”
“Thank you for standing up for my wife, Caleb, because I agree that Jenny is everything that I wanted in a wife and more. However, I am curious as to why Mary Horning is back.”
Jenny squirmed because Gavin was playing right into Nell’s hands. She was tempted to burst into the kitchen and tell Gavin everything but then the men seeking revenge on Leonard would not only harm Jenny but Gavin and the baby also.
“Mary and her beau couldn’t make a go of it. She missed life on the ranch and decided that Olean was where she needed to be. She was asking about you and I think the two of you can rescue your friendship despite Jenny. If you ask me, Gavin, Mary has never looked more beautiful with her auburn hair and green eyes. She looks like the old Mary again without all the fussiness when she was living in the city.”
“Jenny and I will invite her to the ranch some Sunday after church services. My wife doesn’t have any friends in Texas besides us and it would be nice to get the two of them together.”
Jenny had heard enough and she ran to her bedroom in tears. She would pretend to be asleep when Gavin came to the room because she was tempted to tell him everything. Caring for Gavin came so easily and she couldn’t allow anything to happen to him. When she pulled back her blanket there was a wrapped gift with a note:
To my sweet Jenny and the lucky baby who will call you Mommy.
Love,
Gavin
She tore open the cloth in which it was wrapped and found a silver baby spoon with the initials GH. It must have been his as a child. She held it tight as she covered herself with the blanket and cried herself to sleep. She heard Gavin creep in and felt him as he gave her a gentle kiss.