Anna Mae went into the bedroom and shut the door. If truth were told, she liked him being in charge. But Anna Mae refused to allow herself the luxury of depending on a man. The last man she’d depended on to keep his word had failed miserably. No, she wasn’t going to get close enough to Josiah or his girls to depend on them for happiness or anything else.
* * *
A few days later, Josiah inhaled the hearty fragrance of fresh, hot bread mingled with a pork stew cooking on the stove. His gaze moved to the woman who sat reading with his girls.
She was amazing.
Over the past few days, she’d managed to clean the house and at the same time keep the girls happy. He’d helped her with a lot of the cleaning, but still she seemed to be able to spot just what needed to be done. She’d also allowed the girls more freedom from the corral. They’d wobbled about the house and seemed happy just to explore and play.
Unfortunately, the storm had picked up once more, and as the snow fell, Anna Mae became quieter and quieter. Josiah assumed she worried over what the school board would say once she did make it back to town. He noticed little Rose releasing a mighty big yawn.
“Looks like these two are ready for a nap,” Josiah said, taking Rose from Anna Mae’s lap.
“Yes, it is that time,” she answered, swinging her legs off the couch.
“You stay put. I’ll come back for Ruby,” he instructed as he carried the little girl into the bedroom he shared with the two children. He glanced over his shoulder.
“No nap,” Ruby muttered, tucking her head under Anna Mae’s chin. Her chubby little thumb found her mouth and her eyes began to close.
Josiah slipped Rose into her crib and then returned for Ruby.
Anna Mae yawned, too, as she met him halfway to the bedroom. She offered him a gentle smile as he took Ruby from her arms.
“Go lie down. You could use some rest, too, after all you’ve done this morning.” He turned to the bedroom before she could protest.
Ruby was already asleep as he tucked her little blanket about her small shoulders. His gaze moved to her twin, who also breathed in a steady, slow manner. His girls were freshly bathed, wore clean dresses and smelled of talc powder. If only they had a mother to keep them smelling and looking like sweet little girls.
Josiah walked back to the sitting room. Anna Mae rested on the couch with the quilt over her. Her steady breathing told him that she, too, had settled in for a nap. Had she overdone it? He’d noticed she grew tired after each task, but would take a short break and then start back to cleaning or doing something with the girls. Maybe he should have made her relax more.
She’d been at the cabin now well over a week. It was time she had her own bedroom. When he and the girls had first moved into the house, he’d started using the extra two rooms as storage rooms. Now his guest needed one of them.
As he cleaned and straightened it up, his thoughts turned to Anna Mae’s future. Would the school board fire her for being at his place for so long? Josiah sighed. Even he knew that they weren’t going to approve of her extended stay.
Maybe Levi Westland would be able to help her. Levi was the reason Anna Mae was in Granite in the first place. He’d invited her to their small town as a mail-order bride. Then when he’d chosen to marry Millie Hamilton, Levi had made sure that Anna Mae got the teacher’s position when it became available.
But if Levi couldn’t persuade the school board, what in the world was Josiah going to do about her? He had no idea what would become of Anna Mae should she lose her job. Would he be able to help her? And if so, how?
Three days later, the sun came out and melted most of the snow and ice, making it possible for Anna Mae to return to town. Mud squished under Josiah’s boots as he hitched his horse to the wagon. He’d decided to leave the mule in the barn. It would be hard enough driving the wagon through the mud without trying to pull a cankerous mule behind it. Josiah had assured Anna Mae he’d bring it back to town as soon as the ground hardened up a bit.
Anna Mae remained inside, preparing the kids for the trip. Her illness had taken its toll on her body and she appeared much slimmer than she’d been when she’d arrived two weeks earlier. He wasn’t sure if the weight loss was due to her being sick or from worrying about her job. She’d lost her appetite but had kept up her good nature.
He watched as Anna Mae stepped out onto the porch, holding a child in each arm. What he could see of her dress looked clean and pressed. She also wore her green cloak and gloves. She’d drawn her hair into a tight knot at the nape of her neck, giving her pale face a pinched look.
Josiah guided the horse up to the porch and reached for Rose.
“Thank you, Sheriff Miller.” She passed the child to him and waited as he placed Rose upon the seat and then handed the child a small rope attached to the bench for her to hold on to. Next, he took Ruby from Anna Mae’s arms and did the same. The twins looked at each other and grinned happily as they clung to the rope. The word go was about the only recognizable thing they said to each other. The rest of the sounds they made were not real words, but the twins seemed to have no problem understanding each other as they nodded and smiled.
Anna Mae turned back to the open door and retrieved a picnic basket. “I packed a lunch for you and the girls’ return trip.” She offered him the hamper.
“That was very nice of you, Annie.” He took the basket and placed it in the bed of the wagon. He checked that the girls were comfortable and covered with a thick blanket before turning to assist Anna Mae.
“Please, Sheriff Miller, don’t call me Annie while we are in town.” Anna Mae twisted her hands in the folds of her dress.
He gave her a gentle smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Anna Mae gave him a doubtful look, then took his hand while she pulled herself up onto the seat beside the girls. “See that you are.”
“I promise.” Josiah planned on being the perfect gentleman once they entered town. He had to admit, though, that he felt a sense of loss already with her leaving. He shook his head regretfully. He sure was going to miss Anna Mae.
When he seated himself on the other side of the twins, she asked, “Is it very far to the Bradshaws’ place?”
“No, just across the pasture.” Widow Bradshaw lived a little too close for his comfort. True, she supplied him with fresh bread each week, but her constant hinting that she’d make a good mother for the girls was becoming a nuisance.
“Good. I know you think I’m being silly, but I want to make sure that Bart is doing all right,” Anna Mae said, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirts.
Josiah raised the reins and was about to gently slap them over the horse’s back when he heard another wagon pulling onto his property. He looked behind him and saw Mrs. Bradshaw and Bart. “It looks like Bart made it home,” he said matter-of-factly.
Anna Mae nodded. “Yes, it would appear so.”
The
