A Bride For Russell Page 7

  Was it fair? Who knew!

  It was breaking her heart.

  Relief surged through Naomi when Doc James came outside to stand on the porch. He was smiling so that was a great sign.

  “How is she, Doc?” Wesley and Russell asked at the exact same time.

  He grinned. “She’s fine, boys. A small strain but sometimes that can be worse. If she doesn’t stay in bed for at least a week, it won’t heal. She’s not too happy about having to do so.”

  Naomi stepped up. “What can we do to help?”

  He nodded to Naomi. “I suggest compresses three times a day to keep the swelling down. In about five days, she’ll be able to get up more but the ankle will have to be wrapped for support. My wife can show you how to wrap it if you would like to go inside.”

  “I’ll go right in,” she told him, excusing herself. This meant she’d have to stay for another week at least. Secretly, she wanted to stay forever but if she had a week, then at least she’d be able to plan how to leave.

  Naomi spent the morning learning how to apply cool compresses to Widow Young’s ankle and to wrap the foot and ankle when the time came for her to get up.

  She was not a happy patient and constantly complained. Naomi took it all in stride, warning the older woman if she didn’t listen her foot would crack into pieces and fall off.

  “Naomi, that’s nonsense! Are you trying to scare me?”

  “Yes, is it working?”

  “No it isn’t. I feel useless this way. I have to do something!”

  “I’m going to need you to tell me how to feed your sons. Did Russell tell you about the disaster last night?”

  “He mentioned that I may want to stick with you awhile until you learned a little more.”

  Her kind words made Naomi smile. “I think I need you terribly. I can’t follow directions for the life of me.”

  “Okay, that makes me happy. If you give me a pencil and some paper, I’ll make a list of ingredients for tonight’s supper. Have you made breakfast yet for the boys?”

  She shook her head. “No, Nora sent flapjacks and eggs for breakfast. Would you like to eat now that the doctor has gone?”

  “I’m not too hungry but if you can butter a slice of bread along with a cup of coffee, that will suffice until later.”

  Naomi went to work in the kitchen, taking whipped butter and smearing it on a thick slice of fresh bread. After placing it on a plate, she poured fresh coffee and delivered the food. Widow Young didn’t look up as she was so busy writing away.

  “I’ll be back to discuss supper in awhile,” Naomi told her, exiting the room. She sat at the table, sipping coffee and picked up a flapjack. Nibbling on the end, she stared into space, wondering what it would be like if she didn’t have to leave. Her mother-in-law was so kind, offering to teach her whatever she needed.

  Russell was anxious to consummate the marriage, that much she knew. Except she wasn’t going to let it go that far. She didn’t dare. He deserved more.

  Naomi stood, her mind made up. Perhaps it was time to make Russell dislike her. Then it wouldn’t be so hard when she had to turn and walk away.

  Chapter 7

  Ever since Naomi decided to stay at the farm house, he’d been lonely without her. Even though he’d stayed here by himself as a single man, it wasn’t the same now that he’d married her. Wesley sat on the front porch of the cabin with him, listening to him complain.

  “I have a bride and haven’t been able to sleep in the same bed with her yet. What kind of marriage did I wind up with?”

  Wesley laughed. “Brother, it’s not like its everyday something like this happens to Ma. You know we can’t take care of her all day long, we have work to do. Why don’t you go visit her? Sit on the porch with her instead of out here whining with me?”

  “I tried last night. She cut me off, said Ma needed her. Naomi shut the door so fast my head spun.”

  “Maybe you didn’t approach things right. If it were my wife, I’d be showing her how romantic I can be. Why, it’s not everyday a bride falls into a marriage like this and has to go off and care for her mother-in-law. It takes a special lady to do that and you haven’t even thanked her yet.”

  “How in the world does a man do that?” Russell didn’t have a clue. Why, he was lucky to have her, what else did she need to know?

  Wesley shook his head. “You sure don’t know squat about women. Your next move is to pour gifts unto her feet. Yes, with flowers and some of that special chocolate Jim Wheeler has shipped in at the mercantile in Wichita Falls.”

  “I was thinking more like spending time in the cow barn showing her how to milk Dolly. I can wrap my arms around her and feel her softness and steal a few kisses in between.”

  Wesley slapped him on the back. “Brother, you can do that too but buy her something nice. A city girl like her is probably used to lots of gifts.”

  Russell had to agree. He forgot she was a rich girl who was used to things. Why didn’t she act like it then? He expected her to be a bit more snobbish and she was far from acting like an uppity city girl. “You know, you’re probably right. I’ll go first thing tomorrow and get her some presents.”

  After Wesley left, he spent the remainder of the evening watching the lights in the farmhouse until the last one was extinguished. His wife was still there, waiting on his Ma hand and foot. After four days, he was ready for her to come home. Wesley was there at night if his Ma needed anything. Why didn’t she come home?

  Was he too unsuited for her? He swore she enjoyed the kisses they shared by the way she curled into his arms and kissed him back. Then why did she behave all of a sudden as if his touch made her cringe?

  Yesterday evening, he took hold of her hand and she pulled it away as if his touch scalded her skin. He was surprised when she closed the door in his face telling him she had to take care of his Ma.

  Ever since then, he’d been second guessing himself, wondering what a beautiful, well-bred city girl would want with him. He began to be suspicious though. He may be a farm boy, but perhaps there was more to Naomi than meets the eye. What was she afraid of?

  He was going to get to the bottom of things first thing in the morning.

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  Dolly had been antsy this morning while Russell milked her. He wondered if a storm wasn’t brewing. The sky was bright blue, with no sign of storm clouds and yet whenever she behaved skittish a storm was almost certain to come in the preceding days.

  He was determined though to get to Wichita Falls first thing this morning so if a storm was in the works, it had better wait until he got back.

  He went to the main farm house to check on Ma while Naomi busied herself in the kitchen, ignoring him except for an occasional nod his way. Flapjacks were setting on the table, steam wafting from the plate while Wesley sat down and helped himself.

  Satisfied his Ma was doing well he sat at the table, waiting for Naomi to join them. When she didn’t, he glared at her while filling his plate. She had to know he was not pleased. Her skittish attitude was beginning to anger him. She was his wife, why did he deserve to be treated with disdain? What had he done to her?

  He wasn’t able to keep quiet any longer. “Naomi, please join us.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of putting together a pie. I have to cut up the peaches from the orchard outside and then work on the pie dough which has given me trouble lately. It’s very hard to do. You go ahead, enjoy your breakfast.”

  Her rambling made him even more angry. What was her issue? He stared at his brother, who looked up and shrugged before shoveling more food into his mouth. Wesley finished up and left, mumbling about being behind schedule.

  That left Russell and Naomi in the kitchen, alone. He was going to get to the bottom of things, right here, right now. “Naomi, we have to talk.”

  He watched her back as her hands stopped moving. She was peeling the peaches and her hands froze in mid-air, one hand holding a fruit, the other holding the knife
. “What do you want to talk about? I’m very busy.”

  “Us.” He slid the chair back, walking up behind her, placing his hands on her waist. He breathed in the rose scent she wore. Closing his eyes, he nuzzled the back of her neck.

  She sucked in a deep breath. He heard it. That meant she was still interested in him, didn’t it? It gave him hope. “I am going into town today. When I get back later, I want us to spend some time together, you and I.”

  “We can’t. Your Ma.”

  He kissed her neck.

  She shivered.

  He smiled. “Ma can be alone for a little bit, even the doc said so. Besides, Wesley is here to keep an eye on her, too. You need to get away from all this and relax.”

  “I’m fine, really. No need to get away.”

  “It’s not a request. It’s an order. I’m your husband, I need you.”

  He left her there, staring after him. As he went out the door, he saw her look, those blue eyes following him as he closed the door.

  It was time they consummated this marriage.

  Tonight.

  He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not that he was going to force her, he didn’t mean to put that in her head. He wanted to give her gifts, make her feel wanted and make this marriage real before the thirty days were up. He wasn’t about to let her go. Not now, not in two weeks.

  Not ever.

  She was his and he wanted her to know how much she was loved.

  Maybe he wasn’t able to give her fancy gifts like the rich city men were able to but if she wanted that kind of life, she’d still be there in the city. She’d have married one of them rich boys but she hadn’t. Instead, she was here, with him.

  She chose him.

  He was going to feed off of that and make her his.

  Tonight and forever.

  Satisfied, he saddled his mare and left for Wichita Falls. An hour later with his mind filled with thoughts of tonight, he rode up to the mercantile and went inside.

  “Hello, Mr. Young. How is married life?”

  The woman’s voice startled him. It was the lady who ran the boarding house. She was placing her purchases on the counter while Jim Wheeler added everything up.

  “Married life is eluding me, Miss Addie.” He wondered if she’d care to speak with him about his bride. After all, she was the matchmaker. Maybe she’d be able to help. “Do you have a moment?”

  “Certainly.” She spoke to Mr. Wheeler and excused herself. Taking his arm, they walked to a far corner of the store to a quiet place. “Now, what can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if you would know what kind of gift to buy my wife? I think she’s used to those fancy rich men. I’m actually starting to think she isn’t interested in being married to a farmer.”

  Miss Addie’s face fell. “Oh, dear! Mr. Young, I will be home in approximately one half hour. If you don’t mind, stop by and we’ll have some tea. I think there are some things we need to discuss in private.”

  Tea wasn’t his favorite drink but he was curious why she wanted to talk and not answer his question right now. He nodded and arranged to meet her as she gathered her purchases and left. Russell spent a few minutes looking around before he found the chocolates, choosing a box that was supposed to come from a place called Belgium. He figured she’d like that, it sounded fancy.

  Russell stopped by Jenna’s café for some pastries to surprise his wife. The owner, after finding out he wanted them to surprise his wife, wrapped the pastries in brown paper and tied with a pretty string. He placed them in his saddle bag and rode up the street to the boarding house. It was time to find out what Miss Addie knew.

  Word was she was the best matchmaker this side of the Mississippi. Miss Addie had a reputation for finding the men in the area good, Christian wives. It was one of the reasons his Ma and Nora arranged a bride through her.

  He knocked on the front door to have it opened immediately. “Come in,” Miss Addie acknowledged. “Right this way.”

  When they were seated at her table, he felt quite out of place. A white fancy tablecloth covered the wood table, along with a silver tray and little porcelain tea cups. She sent one his way. He looked down. How in the world was he going to pick up that tiny cup?

  As he looked up, he watched Miss Addie grab the cup instead of the tiny handle and lift it to her mouth. She raised a brow to let him know he was to do the same. What if he spit out the awful tasting tea? He hated tea. Maybe if he pretended to drink the tea she wouldn’t notice.

  She placed the cup back on the table before he got a chance to drink any. She gave a heavy sigh. “Mr. Young, I’m afraid we have an issue that I feel must be taken care of. Please tell me why your bride is not being kind to you?”

  “Naomi was fine a few days ago. I thought we were getting along great. We even, you know, were about to consummate the marriage if you know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I do. Go on.”

  “Then a bison almost broke into our cabin and we had to shoot him dead. After that, my Ma twisted her ankle and needed someone to care for her. Instead of allowing my brother Wesley, who lives in the house with Ma, Naomi insisted on staying there and has left me alone all week. She refuses to come home at night. Every chance I get she avoids me. She won’t look me in the eye. There is something wrong and I can’t put my finger on it. I’m losing her before I even had a chance to make this marriage work.”

  He’d never given anyone so much information before. Why did this woman bring out the need for him to spill the beans about his relationship with Naomi?

  Miss Addie reached across the table and patted his hand. “I want you to listen carefully. In most cases, I never interfere in a relationship. However, this is not a normal situation.”

  “What do you mean, it isn’t normal?”

  “I must be getting soft in my old age. I usually leave it up to the other party when there is something that needs taken care of. Here’s the issue, Mr. Young. I was waiting for Naomi to talk to you about this but I believe she is truly afraid to. I’m also worried if you don’t take action immediately, she may not stick around after the thirty days are up. You will need to do something now, for her sake as well as your own.”

  “What did I do?” He was stumped! “I gave her plenty of room to get used to living on a farm. I realize she is from the city but if she wanted a rich man, she’d have gotten one by now. No man can resist her, she’s beautiful.”

  “It’s not that, Mr. Young. Naomi hasn’t been totally honest with you. She’s ashamed more so than anything and I asked her to tell you after I found out the truth. It was easy to spot.”

  He stared at Miss Addie. His bride lied to him? “What hasn’t she told me the truth about?”

  “I wish I didn’t have to do this, it is totally against my grain. However, you are the kind of man that would not hold this against someone.”

  His brow rose. Miss Addie was not the type of woman to falter. He was right. “Go on,” he told her, curious as to why his bride lied and this woman felt the need to butt in and tell him the truth.

  “The truth of the matter is Naomi is not from a well-bred family. She is an orphan. She lied because she didn’t think you would want her if you knew where she came from.”

  Russell stared at the older woman. He didn’t know what to say. A sense of relief actually washed over him knowing she wasn’t some uppity city girl. He shook his head. “Now I understand more than ever. The signs were all there.” He even laughed. “Did you know she tried so hard to act like she was this fancy lady and almost broke her neck in the process.”

  “Thank goodness she didn’t break her neck! I see you are not angry. Although, she promised she would tell you.”

  “I think she tried to tell me the night the bison came into our yard.” He was almost sure before that hairy monster interfered. Russell grinned at the way Naomi had described the bison. After that, his Ma got hurt and for some reason she was bent on avoiding him.

  “Then I’m sure she has p
lans to tell you. Although I’m not sorry to have told you first, it is imperative you secure your marriage within the next week.”

  “I’m not so convinced she will. For some reason, she is avoiding me. What if she decides she doesn’t want to stay here and when the thirty days are up, she leaves.”

  Miss Addie patted him on the top of his hand. “Oh, son, I’m afraid you may be missing the point. Naomi is an orphan. She has nowhere to go. If she does decide she isn’t good enough for you, she’ll leave here. But, there will be no destination for her in mind. We promised a return ticket. She’d have to go back to the city, with no home to go to.”

  “You think that’s what she’d do, sacrifice a good home for the streets? Why?”

  Miss Addie shook her head. “An orphan has nothing. Many have come through my matchmaking agency thinking they were not worthy of a new life. Maybe it’s time to speak with your wife before the time is up.”

  He nodded. “I will, I promise. Now that I understand her reasoning, it makes sense. Thank you, Miss Addie, I’ll consider everything you said.”

  “Good. Then I hope I don’t see her a week from Saturday.” She stood, walking him to the door. “Just remember, if you are too aggressive, it may cause her to be scared and run off.”

  “I bought her gifts.”

  “That will be nice, but I doubt gifts will solve the problem. Make sure you let her know you can’t live without her. She’s worthy to be your wife will be the most important thing you can tell her.”

  Russell’s mare was a little skittish. He gazed up at the sky, noticing the storm clouds rolling in. Sometimes, a quick storm was right on the horizon, ready to pound the earth and then before anyone knew what was happening, it was over.

  This didn’t look like that type of storm. Thunder clapped in the background. It sounded far away but Russell knew better. He had an hour to get back and hoped that was enough time, else he’d be stuck along the road somewhere.

  “You may want to stay until the storm runs its course,” Miss Addie pointed out.