The Brides of Chance Collection (100 page)

He started listing what he could pay per pelt depending on the size and type of animal. Logan nodded solemnly and accepted the terms. Bart offered more than twice what the Trevor twins were already getting. Logan would celebrate the good news later—for now, he didn’t want Bart to lower his price.

“Sounds reasonable. I’ll run it past the Trevors. They do pretty well, but I will tell you they stop trapping for a particular animal when the numbers get low.”

“Smart boys.” Bart nodded wisely. “Does no good to get them all at once, or there won’t be any next time around. Can’t tell you how many times that’s happened. Awful thing.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Let’s shake on it.”

Logan was more than happy to oblige. When Bart left, he took the furs with him and left money behind. Logan would go back to the holler with at least one family taken care of. Now for the others. He walked out onto the shop floor and waited while Jack helped a customer buy a gilded frame.

“Now that I’ve got a minute,” Jack said as the woman left, “why don’t we take a look at what you brought for me?”

This time, Logan simply set out the boxes and let Jack unwrap the carvings inside, let him feel the smooth texture of the wood, notice the fine detail for himself as he uncovered each piece. The products would speak for themselves.

“Well, now.” Jack gave a low whistle as he looked at the entire nativity spread out before him. “That’ll make a fine display. Fine craftsmanship.”

“The best,” Logan agreed.

“Hold up a minute while I put it out.” Logan helped Jack carry the pieces out to a prominent display area and watched his friend expertly set them up.

Logan sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the figure Jack wrote on the price tag. It was a lot of money. But Jack’s store did quite well in Charleston. He’d know better about fine art than Logan did.

They went back to the table and opened up the checker sets. Jack ran his hand along the board, testing its weight and the smoothness of its surface before picking up the checkers and turning them over in his hands. “Good size. Perfect shape. The staining on the wood is even and precise.” Jack squinted at the bottom of a checker. “He’s even carved circles on the bottom of each piece! And that’s nothing compared to the clean lines of the crown on the top.”

They both heard a bell, and Jack walked out to help the customer. Logan finished unpacking all of the round checkers and set them up as though ready for a game. Jack came back in, smiling from ear to ear.

“Guess what just sold?”

He’d been gone for five days. Hattie could scarcely believe how much she missed Logan Chance.

Good thing he took off now so’s I’ll be prepared for when he leaves for good. I knew from the git-go he weren’t goin’ to stay. So I’ll stop pining like some young maid after her beau
.
Logan’s not my beau, and it’s wrong of me to have let my feelings go so deep. Besides, he up and left without a word. He didn’t even explain to Miz Willow where he was goin’. It’s that scamp in him that’s made him hie off. Best I realize that now, so I don’t make a fool of myself when he comes back
.

Hattie had told herself the same thing every day since she’d brought Daisy and Jamie back to Salt Lick Holler and found out Logan had gallivanted off. She had no business missing him—it wasn’t as though he was missing her. She beat the rug with more force than she meant to, sending a cloud of dust into her face.

See? If that ain’t proof yore notions about Logan Chance are clouding yore vision, nothin’
will be
.

She heard a heavy pounding on the door and walked around to the front of the house to find out who was causing the ruckus. She tried to ignore the flutter of hope that Logan had come back, but her heart clenched when she saw Nate Rucker instead.

“It’s time, Hattie!” Nate grabbed hold of her shoulder with one powerful hand and scooted her through the door Daisy had opened. His eyes were wide and frantic. “Abigail’s havin’ the babe!”

“It’s all right, Abby,” Miz Willow crooned. “Breathe in and out, long and slow. That’s it. The cramps’ll let up in jist a minute.”

“Hoo.” Abigail let out a shaky breath, her eyes screwed tightly shut. “Ooh.” She fell back against the chair as the pangs subsided. “That one were powerful fierce.”

“You’ve got a bit afore the next one will come on.” Hattie laid clean towels on the bed before pulling up the sheets and laying more towels for good measure. She went to the kettle to pour some motherwort tea.

Abigail sipped some of it before handing the mug back. “I’d like to walk a bit.”

“Whatever makes you more comfortable,” Miz Willow agreed.

“I’ve given up on comfortable,” Abigail gritted out before doubling over with another onset of cramps.

“Yore doin’ jist fine.” Hattie held Abigail’s arm to support her. “Think on yore precious babe. Yore gonna make a fine mother, Abby.”

“I hope so.” Abigail straightened up and paced around the cabin, letting gravity do its work.

“I know so,” Miz Willow declared. Awhile later, Abigail’s cramps were coming on much faster. She’d been in labor for nearly nine hours.

“I reckon it’s time we git you to the bed, Abby.” Hattie helped Abigail out of the rocking chair and winced at how tightly Abby clenched her hand as a spasm rocked her body. “Won’t be long now.”

“It’s already been long enough,” Abby moaned as she was put in bed. “Did Nate bring the ax?”

“Yes, Abby. It’s under yore bed already to holp cut the pain.” Hattie didn’t know exactly how having an ax under the bed would help, but the thought seemed to comfort women in labor.

“Now, Abby,” Miz Willow instructed after she examined the woman, “when the next one comes, I want you to push. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.” Abby gritted her teeth and bore down immediately. The pain lasted longer, but the babe hadn’t come yet.

“Now keep on pushing as hard as you cain every time you git the urge.” Hattie mopped Abby’s brow as she spoke.

About an hour later, Abigail’s strength was flagging. “I don’t think I cain push anymore,” she wailed, tears trailing down her cheeks and splashing onto her nightgown.

“Shore you cain, honey!” Li’l Nate roared his encouragement through the shut door. From the sound of it, he’d been pacing back and forth the whole time, letting out groans when Abby yelled with the pain.

“You don’t know what yore talkin’ ’bout, Nathaniel Rucker.” Abigail sat up and bellowed back. “Jist hobble yore mouth!”

“Yes, dear.” Nate obeyed meekly. Hattie heard the sound of his boots as he started pacing again.

“One more time, Abby,” Hattie encouraged. “Push as hard as you cain and don’t stop until we say.”

“AAARRRGGGH!” Abigail hollered as she pushed through the pain. The babe’s cry hovered in the air.

A few minutes later, Abigail leaned back against the pillows, panting from exertion, her eyes closed. She smiled when Hattie laid the baby in her arms.

“I’m comin’ in!” Nate pounded on the door.

“No yore not, Nate. You know the rule. New father waits half an hour before comin’ in.” Miz Willow’s dictum gave the midwives enough time to clean up the mother and the baby and gave the woman some time to rest up before her man saw her. Only then would he find out whether he’d been given a son or daughter. That was the mother’s news to tell.

Abigail will fill my old home with love and laughter and children
, Hattie thought.
It’s only right to celebrate that. I won’t think about how I never had the joy of telling my husband
I’d given him a baby lad or lass. ’Twasn’t to be so and never will be
.

Chapter 21

L
ogan stood at the counter of the biggest mercantile he’d ever seen. He’d been walking around the place for almost an hour now. The checker sets and nativities had sold in the two days, and Jack had ordered more. Logan would be coming back with good news for Otis, Asa, and the twins. But first he needed to pick up a few things to help get them going.

“What’ve you got here?” The proprietor wheezed and rubbed his hands together, like he was counting his money in his mind before Logan even gave it to him.

“Two whittling knives, one extra-large leather apron, four traps, a bolt of blue cotton, two cans of varnish, and a sack of peppermint sticks.” Logan looked at the items and checked the list he and Bryce had thought up.

Asa and Otis would get a knife and can of varnish each. Li’l Nate needed a bigger leather apron, and the traps would go to the Trevor twins. He’d added the peppermint sticks for Hattie—she liked to use them to stir her tea. He figured that Hattie’s friend whose house had burned down could put the fabric to good use. That made him think of all the things Lovejoy and the women had bought back in Reliable.

“Can I get a comb, a brush, a pack of needles, and a few spools of your finest thread in white, black, and blue?” Logan knew he probably hadn’t thought of everything, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

“Sure. Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Logan took a deep breath. “Do you carry wedding rings?”

Two hours later he sat in yet another train car, heading back to Salt Lick Holler. He kept sticking his hand in his shirtfront pocket to finger the small gold band inside, making sure it was still there. In a matter of days, he’d be back in Salt Lick Holler, where he could get down on one knee and ask Hattie to become his bride.

“I’m home!” Logan all but shouted it through the front door.

No, you’re not, Logan Chance. This isn’t yore real home, and I have to remember it even if you don’t
.

“Well, git on in here so we cain see iff ’n you still look the same!” Miz Willow called back.

Hattie had forgotten how tall he was until he had to stoop a little to get through the doorway. Had he been so handsome and dynamic the last time she saw him? Surely not. Hattie grabbed the fennel seed tea she’d put together for Abigail Rucker. It would help her milk to come after yesterday’s birthing.

“Hello, Hattie.” The nerve of that man to smile at her like that after he’d up and left without a word of explanation! No scapegrace smile was going to make up for his leaving her and abandoning the people she’d entrusted to him.

“Welcome back, Logan.” She gave him a perfunctory smile. “Miz Willow will introduce you to Daisy and Jamie while I run over to the Ruckers’. Abigail delivered her son yesterday.” She slipped through the door without waiting for anyone to stop her.

She all but stomped in her frustration as she made her way to Abigail’s home. It wasn’t as though she’d expected him to frown when he got back, but to smile as though all was right in the world was too much.

That’s not what’s really upsetting me
, she admitted to herself.
Even after what he did, after he let me down for a pleasure trip to Charleston, I still responded to his smile. It warmed me clear down to my toes before I pulled myself together. Logan Chance is downright dangerous. How could I have forgotten how charming he is? I’ll have to guard myself against him until he leaves for good
.

Hattie ignored the sharp pang in her chest at the thought.
I’m jist winded. I’ve been walking so fast. That’s all. Nothing more
. She could already see the Rucker place! Hattie took a calming breath before knocking on the door and giving Nate the tea. She stayed to chat with Abby and make sure everything was going well.