31

The meeting with Warner went better than Aimee could have hoped. Although he was shocked initially, that shock soon faded, and a look of wonder lit his face.

“I hate what my father did,” Warner said when Grace explained why they wanted to see him, “but I can’t hate the result.” His blue eyes, so different from both hers and Grace’s, filled with warmth when he smiled at Aimee, and in that instant, she realized that while the colors differed, her eyes were the same shape as her half-brother’s.

“I’ve always wanted a sister,” he told Grace, “and you’ve given me one.” Though Warner’s face had been contorted in pain when he’d heard about Grace’s search for her daughter and the fear she’d had that she would never learn what had happened to her, he chuckled. “Wait until Nate hears. He used to say that he’d marry my sister if I had one. Now he has the chance.”

Warner grinned at the prospect. Aimee did not. Though she cherished the hope that Nate loved her, she wasn’t as certain as Warner seemed to be. Even though there had been times when his expression had been warmer than she would have expected from someone who considered her nothing more than a friend, Nate had never mentioned courtship or marriage. Everything was different now. Even if he did harbor tender feelings for her, he might not want to wed a woman with her history.

“Do you want to tell Nate?” Aimee asked her newfound brother.

When Warner shook his head, her heart felt as if it had plummeted to her toes. She couldn’t—she simply could not—be the one to talk to Nate. Though women had more freedom here than they did in France, there were still subjects an unmarried woman did not discuss with a man.

As if he sensed her dismay, Warner nodded. “I don’t want to tell him or anyone what my father—our father,” he corrected himself, “did, but he needs to know.”

And Aimee needed to know whether what had happened twenty-two years ago would change the way Nate felt about her.

“What a beautiful day!” Though yesterday had been gray, the sun had emerged this morning, making it the perfect day for a ride. And today Thea was riding. Declaring that he wanted Thea to relax, Jackson had rented a horse, since Maggie still balked when he tried to drive her, giving Thea the unusual experience of riding in her own buggy. She cradled Stuart in her arms while Jackson steered the carriage toward his mysterious destination. And, thanks to Jackson, she had begun to relax.

While she still felt uncomfortable in her house, the fact that there had been no sign of the Gang in over two days had helped her sleep better last night, but the real reason for her peaceful slumber had been Jackson’s invitation. When Thea had dreamt, it had been of spending the day with him, not fending off masked outlaws. That was why she’d chosen to wear the apricot-colored gown.

With its lace collar and cuffs and the thirteen buttons closing the bodice, it was fancier than most of her clothing but not so fancy that she couldn’t wear it for a daytime excursion. Jackson’s pleased expression when he’d seen her and his softly murmured “pretty” had confirmed the wisdom of choosing this particular gown.

“The town’s buzzing with the news that the travelers have returned.” Though his hands were relaxed on the reins, Jackson’s eyes moved constantly, scanning the area for any sign of danger. That was another reason Thea’s tension had faded. She knew that Jackson would keep her and Stuart safe.

She was not surprised by the grapevine’s speed. “What most of the townspeople don’t know is that Grace Sims is Aimee’s mother.” When she’d returned from Lydia’s house, her face glowing with happiness, Aimee had told Thea the whole story, including her relationship to Warner. An hour later, she’d taken Thea across the street to meet Grace.

“Aimee and Grace look so much alike that everyone’s going to realize they’re related once they see them together.”

Though they hadn’t finalized the decision, Grace had suggested that they ask Pastor Dunn to introduce Aimee as her daughter following Sunday’s service. “We know everyone will speculate, so we might as well satisfy their curiosity,” Grace had said.

But Jackson’s curiosity appeared to have taken a different turn. “What will you do when Aimee marries Nate?”

“I don’t know.” The thought had crossed her mind more than once, but now the situation was more complicated. It had been difficult enough remaining in the house and remembering the damage the intruders had wreaked on it when she had Aimee with her. Though last night had been better, Thea couldn’t imagine what it would be like with only Stuart for company. He couldn’t reassure her the way Aimee did.

Thea smiled at the infant in her arms, grateful that he was continuing to amuse himself with the rattle Widow Jenkins had given him. “I’m not sure there will be a wedding. Nate hasn’t proposed.” And, though Aimee had once believed he might be on the verge of doing exactly that, now she was worried.

“He will. The man is boots over hat in love with her.” Jackson flashed Thea a smile. “I’ve had to listen to him tell me how wonderful she is. Trust me. It’s just a matter of time before Aimee and Nate are hitched. What will you do then?”

For some reason, Jackson was persistent in wanting to know her plans. The problem was, Thea didn’t have any firm plans. “I’ll probably try to find a house where I feel safer.” She paused before adding, “The problem is, I’m not sure that moving will help.”

Jackson nodded as if he understood, but, though a smile teased the corners of his lips upward, his words were solemn. “You’ll be safe as soon as I put the Gang behind bars. I’ll admit that they’ve been cleverer than I expected. Even though we did a thorough search, Travis and I couldn’t find any signs of them.” His voice remained sober as he said, “I know they were the ones behind your break-in, but I can’t figure out where they’re hiding. What I can tell you is that they’re not following us today.”

And that was reassuring. “Where are we going?” Jackson had refused to tell Thea anything more than that he wanted her advice.

“We’re almost there.” A minute later, he turned the buggy off the main road.

“Austin Goddard’s ranch?” Thea had ridden past the entrance several times when she’d visited patients, though she’d never seen the house.

“Yep. I heard he might be interested in selling it and wanted your opinion. I can tell if the land is good and the barn is large enough, but I don’t know much about houses. I was hoping you’d look at it and tell me whether it would be a good home.”

Jackson gave a deprecating shrug as he continued what was for him a long speech. “I saw it from the outside once and thought it looked all right, but I’m no expert. When my ma used to say there’s a difference between a house and a home, I never could figure out what she meant. I’m hoping you can help.”

Thea shared that hope. Jackson had helped her in so many ways, never once asking anything in return. The least she could do was give him an opinion of this house. Perhaps it would turn out to be a home for him and not simply the building where he lived.

As they approached the sprawling ranch house with its wraparound porch, a frisson of excitement made its way down Thea’s spine. Though she was here to evaluate it for Jackson, she could not deny her own reaction to it. To her surprise, she was filled with a sense of homecoming, though the building bore little resemblance to the house where she’d grown up.

After a tragic fire had destroyed the original house, Sarah and Clay had rebuilt their home with stone, eschewing the half-timbered style that was common in Ladreville. Unlike Thea’s childhood home, this house was a simple frame structure, one story high with green shutters providing contrast against the white walls and black-shingled roof. While there was nothing distinctive about it, the building that Austin and Catherine Goddard now called home seemed to be welcoming Thea.

The feeling was so unexpected, a bit like the coup de foudre that Aimee had felt when she met Nate, that Thea wasn’t certain what to do. Rather than blurt out her feelings, she busied herself with Stuart, adjusting the cap Widow Jenkins had knitted for him so it would shade his face when they left the buggy.

As Jackson helped her and Stuart out of the buggy, the couple Thea had seen at Lydia’s house the previous day emerged from the house, their faces wreathed with smiles.

The man pulled out his watch and smiled. “Right on time, just like you said in your note.” He gave Thea an appraising look. “I see you brought someone with you.”

Austin Goddard matched Jackson in height, but that was where the similarities ended. His hair was blond, not auburn, his eyes blue rather than green, his chin distinctly square. While the town’s new doctor was a handsome man, he didn’t compare to Jackson.

Jackson nodded. “This is Thea Michener. I wanted her opinion.”

Although Thea could see nothing amusing about Jackson’s words, Austin appeared to be fighting to hide a smile.

His wife stepped forward, her smile as welcoming as her husband’s. “The men are going to worry about boring things like barns and corrals. Let me show you the inside, Mrs. Michener.” Her smile broadened as she looked at Stuart. “I have just the right place for him to stay while we look around.” The assurance with which the pretty brunette spoke reminded Thea that she’d once been Cimarron Creek’s schoolteacher.

“Please call me Thea,” she said as she climbed the porch steps.

“All right, Thea. And I’m Catherine.”

Instead of opening the front door, Catherine continued around the porch to what Thea surmised was the entrance to the kitchen. When she’d escorted Thea inside what was indeed a nicely appointed kitchen, Catherine pointed to a wicker basket filled with freshly washed towels. “Just give me a second to get the towels out. I think the little one will fit inside.”

And he did. Stuart appeared intrigued by his new surroundings, batting the sides of the basket with his fists while he chortled his approval. Thea knew from experience that Stuart would remain entertained for a while, giving her a chance to explore the rest of the house.

As Catherine led the way around the house, showing Thea the parlor, separate dining room, pantry, and five bedrooms, she said, “It’s not fancy, but everything is in good condition. We find it comfortable.”

“It’s more than comfortable. It’s charming.” The house where she was living was larger and some would say more stylish, but it paled compared to this.

The sense of homecoming that had settled over Thea as they approached the house had only increased when she’d entered the house that Jackson was considering buying. He might not know the difference between a house and a home, but Thea did. This was a home. It was a place she could easily picture herself spending the rest of her life.

She swallowed deeply, unwilling to voice those thoughts. Instead, she settled for, “It’s bigger than I expected.”

Catherine nodded as if she’d had the same reaction herself. “The people who built it kept adding rooms as they had children. I understand they had twelve.”

Thea gasped. Though she had encountered large families in her practice, the most she’d seen were ten children. “It’ll take Jackson a while to fill all those rooms.” They had never spoken of children other than Stuart, but Thea knew instinctively that Jackson would want at least three or four.

“A few years, anyway.” Catherine turned back toward the kitchen. “I imagine the men will be another half hour or so. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea while we wait?”

“Tea would be wonderful, if it’s not too much trouble.” It might help settle her thoughts, which were whirling at the realization that she did not want to leave this house.

“It’s no trouble at all.” As the tea steeped, Stuart began to fuss. Catherine smiled at him, then turned back to Thea. “Would you mind if I held him? I want to practice a bit.”

The almost hesitant tone in the formerly confident schoolteacher’s voice caused Thea to give her an appraising look. “Any particular reason?”

A laugh was Catherine’s first response. “Exactly the one you’re imagining. I believe I’ll be having a baby of my own next spring. That’s one of the reasons I’m glad you came today. I have a million questions for you.”

They were still talking about babies when Jackson and Austin entered the kitchen.

Austin laid a protective hand on his wife’s shoulder but directed his question to Thea. “So, what do you think?”

“I think you’re going to be a father next May.”

The look Austin and Catherine exchanged warmed Thea’s heart. This was how parents ought to react to the news that a blessed event was in the offing. They were eager, excited, and full of love for each other and their unborn child.

“That’s the best news possible, but that wasn’t the question I was asking.” Austin turned toward Jackson. “Maybe you’d better do it.”

His face reddening as though he hadn’t anticipated this, Jackson swallowed, then said, “What do you think about the house? Can you picture yourself living here?”