Jamie Read online

  Lily said, “I imagine you’ll be an asset. People have more confidence in a minister who’s married. As a widow you’ll be able to pitch right in to his calling.”

  Ruby looked at her hands. “I’m also expecting.”

  Olivia smiled at her. “Why this is wonderful. Soon we’ll have the next generation. I can’t believe you didn’t tell us on our way here.”

  “I doubt his congregation will be thrilled he married a woman with a child on the way.” Beth assessed Ruby. “How far along are you?”

  “F-Five months. Him marrying a w-widow shouldn’t upset his congregation.”

  Olivia patted Ruby’s hand. “Just the women will be annoyed. The mothers will be sad their daughter didn’t win him, and so will the single women. You’ll be the envy of everyone.”

  Ruby sent her a shy smile that appeared full of gratitude. “I hope so. I want him to be proud of me.”

  Jamie’s children ran through the room. Olivia rose to speak to them, but stopped when Fiona headed after the two.

  “You’re being too rowdy. Get your coats and hats on and go play in the barn.”

  Olivia reclaimed her seat.

  Lily nodded at her. “You’ve your work cut out for you with those two.”

  Beth said, “I thought Cat was a boy when we first saw her. Except for her braids, she looks and acts like one.”

  Olivia agreed, but she wouldn’t criticize Jamie’s children in front of others. “I’ll discuss their behavior with my husband.”

  Fiona entered the room. Her hair was a softer shade of her granddaughter’s auburn. She was an attractive if motherly-looking woman and wore a soft gray dress appropriate for the day.

  She took a seat on the sofa and gazed at Olivia. “Won’t do any good, dear. He doesn’t make them behave, as you can see.”

  Lily blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you would hear me.”

  Fiona shook her head. “You only spoke the truth. That’s why I chose Olivia for Jamie. I figured a school teacher would be able to tame those unruly children.”

  Lily rolled her eyes before gazing directly at her mother-in-law and chuckling. “Mrs. Fraser, a lion tamer couldn’t civilize those children.”

  Instead of taking offense, Mrs. Fraser laughed. “You may be right. Now, girls, please call me Mama or Fiona. We’re all family now.”

  Olivia smiled at Jamie’s mother. “Thank you. I’ll call you Mama since you don’t mind. Mama is what I call my own mother.”

  In spite of being angry Fiona had deceived her, Olivia couldn’t help liking the cheerful woman. She’d noticed when the men were around that Fiona deferred to Jamie and suspected that he was Fiona’s favorite. That meant he was used to having his own way.

  Olivia knew she’d have to stand up to him from the start or she had no chance of earning his respect and acceptance. However, she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. She wanted her marriage to work, wanted to enjoy being Jamie’s wife, and wanted the entire family to be happy together.

  The afternoon passed with tension as no one seemed inclined to conversation. Fiona brought out mending and the others helped. Even Beth knew how to embroider, so she could stitch a seam. Fiona kept up an account of activities on the ranch and in the community, as if she were assuring them there were events to keep them entertained.

  About six o’clock the men returned, hungry, tired, and grumpy. They appeared mad at one another and angry in general. Fiona laid aside her mending and hurried to the kitchen while the wives greeted their husbands.

  Olivia joined Jamie by the sofa. “You must be cold and hungry. Your mother said dinner will be ready in a few moments.”

  Jake and Cat ran through the room whooping like Indians again.

  She tilted her head and waited for him to speak to his children and to her. He watched the children then looked away. Didn’t he understand how inappropriate their behavior was? Surely he saw the other adults cringe at their shouts and near misses of breakables.

  Once again, tension filled the room. She was grateful when Fiona called them all to dinner. Once they were seated, Fiona kept conversation flowing with questions about the ranch and others’ plans while they ate ham, potatoes, squash, pickled beets, and green beans topped with pumpkin pie.

  Olivia said, “We saw several houses from the upstairs windows. We wondered who lives in them.”

  Jamie laid down his fork. “One’s the old foreman’s cottage and no one lives there. The one closest to this house is where our foreman lives. Guess you know the foreman is Pete, the man who brought you here from town.”

  Olivia answered, “He may have mentioned that. I don’t know about Lily, Ruby, and Beth, but I was so tired and cold I could hardly concentrate.”

  Beth hugged her arms. “I didn’t think I’d ever get warm again.”

  Ruby laughed. “Me either, but here we are in this lovely home, just as snug as can be in spite of the weather.”

  After Caleb and Lily then Beth and Ethan left, Olivia’s tension mounted. She sat in the parlor with her new husband, his mother, Gideon, and Ruby while Jake and Cat played noisily on the stairs.

  She turned to her new husband. “Isn’t it time the children were in bed?”

  He shrugged. “Aw, they’ll go to bed when we do.”

  She simply couldn’t keep her silence about them any longer. “Children need more sleep than adults. Don’t they have a bedtime routine?”

  A frown marred his handsome brow. “What are you talking about?”

  She took a deep breath. Obviously he questioned her statement. “Each night unless there’s a special occasion, children should wash, clean their teeth, and get into bed at a certain time. They might get read a book, but they always say their prayers, and go to sleep at…say half past eight.”

  He gestured to one of the chairs by the hearth. “I read to them sometimes. We sit by the fire and I hold Cat while Jake sits on the chair arm or floor.”

  She composed her face to be as placid as she could manage. With her voice modulated so as not to sound a nag, she said, “I’m pleased to know you spend time with Jake and Catriona. What I’m saying, though, is that by now they should be in bed.”

  He turned on the sofa and sent her a stern glare. “Look, we may be married, but don’t think you can change up my life or my children’s. We’re happy here as we are.”

  Gideon’s mouth formed a firm line. Ruby chewed her lip as if she didn’t know what to say or do.

  Fiona appeared worried, and then her facial expression changed to one of a forced smile. “Would anyone like to sing songs around the piano? Music always brightens a home, don’t you think, ladies?”

  Ruby looked from Olivia to Jamie. “That sounds like a lovely idea.”

  Fiona rushed to the piano and Ruby followed. Slowly, Gideon rose. Before he joined his wife, he sent Jamie a heated glare.

  Wondering what she’d gotten herself into, Olivia stood and took a place by Ruby. Jamie trailed along as if against his will. Questions whirled in her mind.

  Had she linked herself to a curmudgeon? What were his expectations of her? Could she trust him? She vowed she wouldn’t be made a fool of again.

  Fiona broke into “Oh! Susannah” with gusto. The others sang along, and Olivia was pleased to note Jamie had a beautiful baritone. Gideon sang tenor just as well. Ruby’s face beamed with pleasure as she joined her voice with her husband’s.

  As if by magic, the children joined them and sang—or tried. Cat didn’t know all the words so she was behind. Jake imitated his father’s movements. At last, something the children enjoyed that wasn’t destructive or irritating to others.

  After three songs, Gideon touched his mother’s shoulder. “Mama, Ruby looks tired, so we’ll go on upstairs now.”

  Jake tugged on his father’s sleeve. “Uncle Gideon’s sleeping in my room. I wanna sleep with you.”

  Jamie lifted Cat and ruffled Jake’s hair. “Sorry, pal. You’re sleeping in Cat’s room again. Come on, we’ll go on up now.”
He glanced over his shoulder at Olivia.

  Jake hung his head. “Damn.”

  Jamie didn’t appear upset. “Remember not to use bad words in front of ladies. That includes your sister.”

  Olivia exchanged a look with Fiona.

  Her mother-in-law patted her arm reassuringly. “Don’t be discouraged, dear. You’ll get everyone trained in a while. The children have run wild all their lives and I admit I’ve always spoiled Jamie.”

  With a wistful expression, she placed a hand at her heart. “He looks exactly like his father and I couldn’t help myself, especially since Jim passed on. Jamie even walks like his father and his voice sounds the same.”

  “Obviously, you miss your husband. I’m sorry I didn’t know him.” Olivia sympathized with Fiona. How sad to work so hard building a fine ranch and raising a family and then not be able to share it with the one you loved.

  “You’re kind to say so, dear.”

  “I’ll go on up, too. Are you coming?”

  Fiona accompanied her toward the stairs. “Yes, I’m feeling my age. But hasn’t this been a wonderful day? All four of my boys married right here in our living room. Jim would have been so proud.”

  At the top of the staircase, they parted while Fiona went to her room at one end of the hall and Olivia to the other. She heard laughter coming from Cat’s room where Jamie readied the children for bed. She wondered what would happen if she joined them. No, the children wouldn’t like her intruding and she wasn’t sure her husband would either.

  Her husband.

  The thought of the coming night worried her. She knew the biological procedure for mating, but had no firsthand experience. Her chest constricted and her stomach roiled until she thought she might retch. Taking a deep, slow breath, she battled for calm against her self-preservation instincts urging her to flee.

  In the master bedroom, she closed the door and quickly prepared for bed. Usually she slept in a braid, but tonight she brushed her hair and left it loose as she’d been told a man preferred. She wanted to be under the cover before Jamie came into the room. After lowering the wick, she left the lamp burning on her side of the bed. The fireplace added illumination as well as heat.

  She sat up in bed, rereading the letter she’d believed was from Jamie. He’d sounded so kind and she’d sensed an instant bond. How could she have guessed that bond was with her mother-in-law?

  She looked up when a light rap sounded. “Come in.”

  He closed the door behind him but stood in the shadows as he unbuttoned his shirt. Since she’d left the lamp low, she couldn’t see his features but could distinguish his outline.

  “Figured me getting the children to bed would give you time to change.”

  Her fingers pleated the sheet edge turned back over the quilts. “Since you didn’t invite me to join in, I thought you wanted to get them ready for sleep by yourself.”

  He added another log to the fire. “Usually, I just send them to bed. Like I said, reckoned you could use a little time alone in here.”

  He sat on the bed to pull off his boots and socks. “That the letter you thought was from me?

  When she nodded, he held out his hand.

  She passed him the sheets of paper. “You sounded nice.” She shrugged. “As if you were lonely.”

  He scanned the missive. “Have to admit Mama did a good job. Except I don’t appreciate her saying my children were unruly and needed a mother’s influence.”

  “It’s true, although I realize your mother has tried to fill the void and she worries about them. I was quite miffed at your mother at first, but she’s too nice for me to hold onto my anger.”

  His face hardened. “She shouldn’t have impersonated my brothers and me, but once she sets her mind to something, she usually gets her way.”

  “Did your father give in to her too?”

  He appeared to consider that a moment. “They were a team. If they argued, my brothers and I never knew. Dad was pretty amazing, at least he seemed that way to me.”

  “How long ago did her die?”

  “Five years ago. Might have had a heart attack or a stroke. We don’t know. He fell off his horse, which he would never have done normally, and struck his head on a stone.”

  “I’m sorry. Your mother speaks of him as if he’d just stepped out for a minute. She still loves him very much.”

  “Yeah, right up to the day he died you could tell by the way they looked at one another they were in love even after all those years.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Olivia thought Fiona and her husband had been lucky. They’d had what she longed for, a loving relationship and partnership. How remarkable to stand together united against life’s troubles as well as blessings.

  Would her marriage turn into the kind Jamie’s parents enjoyed? Ha, she wasn’t even sure she could trust him. His actions so far didn’t offer promise. What had she done, coming halfway across the nation to marry this man who hadn’t wanted her?

  When her new husband stood and stepped out of his pants, she turned her head. She allowed herself one peek. Although she suppressed the gasp she wanted to emit, she about had heart failure. He was a large man in every sense of the word. Having read the biological mechanics in a book and seeing the real thing were far different.

  He crawled into bed then leaned on his elbow to peer at her. “You afraid of me?”

  She tried but couldn’t quite manage to smile. “A little. You’re a big man and appear strong as an oak.” She saw from his expression that her description pleased him.

  From his expression, he tried to see into her soul. “You know what goes on between a husband and wife?”

  She looked at her hands. “In theory. I have no firsthand knowledge if that’s what’s you’re asking.”

  “Guess I was. Makes a difference how we proceed. I was afraid you’d try to put me off for a while. Glad you’re not.”

  Meeting his gaze, she said, “I’d like some things understood between us before we go any further. First, I plan to be as good a wife as I can be.”

  “Good to hear.”

  “In return, I expect several things.”

  He cocked his eyebrow. “Such as?”

  “Fidelity. I’m a generous woman, but I won’t share my body with a man who isn’t faithful.”

  He nodded, but his face held an odd expression. “You don’t have to worry on that score. And I expect the same from you.”

  “Understood. I also expect you to treat me with respect. That means you won’t hit me or belittle me in front of others. And, you’ll treat me kindly.”

  He met her gaze defiantly. “If you knew me, I’d find that insulting. Since you don’t yet, I assure you I’ve never hit a woman in my life and can’t abide a man who would. I won’t run you down to anyone. If I have a beef with you, I’ll tell you.”

  She leaned back against the headboard. “Then I guess we’re square.”

  He shook his head and offered a crooked grin. “Now I get a question. Why did you come all this way to marry a stranger?”

  That should be obvious to him. “I married you because I want a home, a husband, and children.”

  “Simple enough. But you should quit trembling as if I were the Big, Bad Wolf and you were Red Riding Hood.”

  “I’ll try.” She grimaced, then smiled. “Thanks for putting that image in my head. I don’t suppose the Woodsman is going to show up and come to my rescue?”

  “I certainly hope not.” He returned her grin and pushed down the covers. “Let’s get you out of that nightgown.”

  She sensed her muscles stiffen. “O-Out of it? Aren’t you going to turn out the lamp first?”

  He shook his head slowly. Reaching over, he turned up the lamp until she could see each of his features clearly. That worried her because that meant he could see hers just as well. Dear Heavens, she was no beauty to parade before a man. Still, she was married to this man and she wanted theirs to be a successful marriage.

  After taking a deep
breath, she unbuttoned her gown and pulled it over her head. She folded it and laid it on the bedside table.

  He chuckled. “You like tidiness and order I see.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “Not in a wife. Now, scoot closer.” Even in the soft light, she could see the sparkle of mischief in his eyes. Extending his hand to her, he bared his teeth and growled. “I promise not to bite too hard.”

  “That’s not as reassuring as you probably suppose.” She’d been on the edge of the bed where she was in danger of falling to the floor but inched toward the center. When her hip made contact with his bare skin, she jumped.

  “Relax. I’ll guide you and assure you that you’ll enjoy our coming together.” He slid his arm under her head and tugged her closer.

  His manhood was like a great fence post poking her abdomen. She knew from what she’d read, including some rather risqué novels, that she could accommodate his staff. Forcing herself to breathe, she tried to relax as he’d asked.

  She almost jumped when he kissed her neck and then her shoulder. When his lips covered hers, she sighed. Such a sweet kiss, but then the pressure increased. His tongue forced open her mouth and probed inside. Shocked at the sensation, she soon met his exploration with her own. Warmth flowed throughout her body and she experienced strange urges.

  His hand caressed her breast then flicked her peaked nipple. She clutched at his shoulders and moved her hands across his back. When he broke their kiss to move lower to her other peak then suckled, she gasped with pleasure. How could his touching her breasts send heat shooting through her body and pooling low in her abdomen?

  He slid his hand to her woman’s private place and inserted a finger inside. As he suckled, his finger kept the same pace. Dear Merciful Heaven, nothing had ever felt so wonderful. She lost herself in his movement, writhing on the pillow without control.

  “You’re nice and moist now. Open your legs for me.”

  She obeyed, her body craving what was to come. He placed his staff at her entry and pushed slowly.

  “There’ll be a twinge of pain but then enjoyment.”