The Brides of Chance Collection (71 page)

It’s not like her to be so persnickety
. Dan shook his head at how she sat down, took another bite, and swallowed without letting on just how foul the stuff tasted. If she could be satisfied with this, why couldn’t she be satisfied with white flannel?

“Red makes the best poultices and plasters. Need lemons and lemon drops, too. Whichever of you bucks moseys into town, I’ll be asking for them as well.”

“Lemons?” Bryce echoed.

“Lemon drops?” Logan looked like he didn’t know whether to be confused or thrilled at that order.

Calm as you please, Lovejoy took another spoonful of oatmeal, downed it, and confirmed, “Aye. I recollect seein’ a whole bushel of lemons in Reba’s mercantile. They smelled dreadful good.”

“Get her whatever she wants,” Paul muttered.

“It’s for that bride o’ yourn,” Lovejoy said. “Lemonade or suckin’ on them drops helps with the sickness.”

Paul shot to his feet. “Why didn’t you say so? We have horehound—”

“Lemon’s the onliest candy that’ll do.”

Paul accepted that outrageous notion without batting an eye. “Fine. What else do you need?”

“That’s it, unless they got a library.”

“A library?” the Chance brothers asked in unison.

“I reckon I may as well learn me a bit ’bout the yarbs what grow in this place. Some stuff don’t grow but in special places, and I have a hankering to take advantage of this opportunity. I’ll collect a passel o’ whatever’s beneficial, leave some here, and take the rest back home when I go.”

“You’re not staying?” The words tumbled out of his mouth before Daniel could hold them back. That sleepless night was making him do stupid things.

“I aim to change your mind,” Titus declared. “I want you around when Alisa needs a midwife.”

“And when Delilah does, too!” Paul slapped his hat on his head and glowered at Lovejoy. “I’m going to get red flannel, lemons, and lemon drops. One more thing: I’m going to see if White’s Mercantile has a spare pair of handcuffs, because I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you here!”

Lovejoy merely laughed. Plainly, she didn’t understand just how serious Paul was.
The man is besotted by his bride. Just like I was…
.

As his brothers divvied up the chores for the day, Daniel ignored their plans. He’d work in the barnyard, the stable—anything close to home. Whenever his girls were under the weather, that was a given.

“Dan’l.” Lovejoy’s voice jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked up from his barely touched oatmeal. “The young’uns are gonna give us fits again tonight. ’Member where the mustard was when you brung me? I’d take it kindly if ’n you got a mind to gather a passel more on account of, by tomorrow, we’ll use up all I cut.”

“I know where there’s some mustard,” Alisa said. “I’ll get it.”

“Nope. Ain’t gonna see you walking farther than the yard. Yore ankles done swoll up over the night. Most you oughtta be doin’ is stitchin’ and readin’.”

Alisa blushed to the roots of her hair. Dan couldn’t be sure whether it was because she was trying to keep it a secret from Titus or if it was because Lovejoy spoke of such anatomy in mixed company.

Titus gave his wife a horrified look. “What’s wrong? Why didn’t you tell me—”

“I’m fine, I’m sure,” Alisa murmured.

“Don’t bother growin’ gray o’er that, Titus,” Lovejoy said. “Her hands ain’t swoll a-tall. It’s when a mama-to-be’s hands and face get swoll up that you got cause to fret. I niver seen me men who clucked like hens over their women and kids like you Chance boys.”

“They’re very good men.” Though Alisa included them all in her words, Dan noticed she kept her gaze trained on Titus.

Lovejoy chuckled. “Cute as a litter of speckled pups, if ’n you ask me.”

“I’ll get the mustard on my way home,” Paul said.

Alisa started to giggle. “Look for a few bones, too.”

“You even chop vegetables purdy.”

Alisa looked across the table at Lovejoy and laughed. “I do?”

“Looky there.” Lovejoy gestured at the colorful heap. “You don’t hack at ’em with your blade; you cut ’em all of like size. And you got it arranged in an arc about you like a rainbow with the stripes a-going up and out ’stead of side to side.”

“I feel ridiculous sitting here while you’re working.”

Lovejoy took two pots and a kettle over to the table. “Beans in here,” she said as she scooped half of the tomatoes into the larger pot then put the rest of the tomatoes and vegetables in the kettle. “You’re doing plenty of important things, Alisa Chance. First off, you’re carrying a new life. Ain’t anything more important a woman cain do than that.”

“Any woman can carry a child.”

Lovejoy looked her in the eye and felt the waves of pain wash over her for an instant before she resigned them to the Almighty. “Not every woman, Alisa.”

Dumping her last handful of beans into the pot, Alisa sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, Lovejoy. I’m sorry. That was—”

“Now don’t you start frettin’. I need you to be clear-thinkin’ on account of I need to know what Delilah’s been able to tolerate so’s we cain perk up her appetite.”

“Other than an occasional soda biscuit, she’s not keeping much of anything down. I figured on making biscuits to go with the soup you’re planning.”

“That’s a right fine idea. After you take a nap, I expect it’ll be ’bout time for you to start in on that.”

“Nap!” Alisa gave her an outraged look. “I’m not going to lie around while you work.”

“Yup, you are.” Lovejoy started stewing the tomatoes and said over her shoulder, “Never did see me any reason to beat ’round the bush, so here goes: The ox is in the ditch here. This is a big ranch with plenty that needs doin’. All three young’uns are ailin’, and Miriam’s hands are full with them today. You and Delilah best behave yourselves, else you’re risking the lives you carry. ’Stead of frettin’, why don’t we praise Jesus that I’m strong and cain fill in?”

“Fill in? Lovejoy, you did laundry, too!”

“Day’s fair and sun’s strong. Good time to let the whites bleach on the line.” She stirred sautéed onions into the tomatoes and added in broth and a sprinkling of mild spices. Last night’s leftover rice finished the recipe. This would be for the children and women. The menfolk would be having a hearty Brunswick stew. “I ken ’tisn’t Saturday night, but seems to me Delilah would feel a far sight better if we tubbed her. No use lettin’ the hot water go to waste, so what say you have a soak? It’ll loosen you up afore your nap.”

“You’re doing too much.”

Lovejoy laughed. “One of these days when the shoe’s on the other foot and my Tempy’s in a fix with Lois and Eunice, you’ll return the favor.”

“You’ll be there—”

“She said she would be leaving soon,” Daniel said as he came in. He lifted his chin toward Lovejoy. “I put another pair of onions in the girls’ cabin for tonight.”

“Thankee, Dan’l.”

He crossed the kitchen, lifted a spoon, and took a taste of the soup she’d started for the children. Humming appreciatively, he grabbed a mug, dunked it, and started drinking. He turned to Alisa. “You found Ma’s recipe!”

“Who cares about a recipe! Daniel, she can’t leave. We need her! I need her.” Alisa started to cry.

Wincing, he gave his sister-in-law an awkward pat. “Now, Alisa…”

“Folks back home are expecting me,” Lovejoy said in a level tone. She’d found sympathy usually made a maternity patient worse instead of calm. “Widow Hendricks is fillin’ in as the healer, but it’s temporary.”

“But they’ll have her. We don’t have anyone.” Alisa took hold of Daniel’s sleeve. “Tell her, Dan. Tell her how we need her to stay.”

Daniel looked like he’d gladly give up his best horse to anyone who’d bail him out of this situation.

“Things have a way of working out. I’ve tended well o’er a hundred births, so I speak from experience. Why, look right under your nose. Miriam and Caleb seem to be just fine.”

“But Dan’s wife died.” The words curled in Alisa’s throat.

Lovejoy tilted her head and frowned. “Dan’l, is that the gospel truth?”

Chapter 11

D
an’s wife died
. Alisa’s outburst shocked him. No one mentioned Hannah’s passing. Ever. He wouldn’t put up with it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Lovejoy expected him to talk about it.

“If ’n a woman passes on in the first ten days, it’s the childbearing. That’s why I’m askin’.”

He managed to mumble something about two months.

Lovejoy plopped down, disentangled him from Alisa’s terrified grasp, and pulled the weeping woman into her arms. “See? You’ve been worryin’ for naught. May as well have yourself a fine caterwaul. Cleanses the heart. Dan’l, we’ll see you at supper.”

He got out of there fast. Never once had it occurred to him that by keeping silent about Hannah, he’d given Alisa cause for worry.
Worry? Panic. Alisa was scared half out of her mind. Come to think on it, Paul went to fetch Delilah for Miriam so she’d have some support
.

“Dan?” Miriam called to him from the girls’ cabin. “I need to go get a few things. Would you mind staying with the kids?”

He paced to his cabin and frowned. “Sounds like you’re catching what the kids have.”

“No need to worry, Dan. I’ll be fine. It’s nothing much, and I have no doubt Lovejoy will concoct something to help me improve. I won’t be but a minute; I need to fetch diapers for Caleb.”

Dan thought about Alisa crying in Lovejoy’s arms. “Diapers on the line ought to be dry by now.”

Miriam smiled. “Lovejoy’s mother should have named her Mercy. I declare, the woman has more compassion than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Polly and Ginny Mae were growing restless at their dolly tea party and started dressing Shortstack in doll clothes. The kitten seemed remarkably tolerant of that indignity, so Daniel didn’t put a stop to it. When Miriam returned with a stack of diapers, he left. Plenty of chores needed doing and kept his hands busy, but his mind stayed far busier.

He could say exactly—to the day—how long Hannah had been gone. Two years, one month, and three days. Some days it felt like it was just yesterday; other moments he felt as if he’d lived a lifetime since then. Day by day he made it through for his daughters’ sake. Today, though, reality smacked him in the face. Everyone else was still doing things for his sake—not tasks or favors, but shielding him as if he weren’t man enough to deal with his sorrow.

And I haven’t been
.

The thought staggered him. Grief was normal. Even Jesus wept when He learned of Lazarus’s death. The emptiness inside wouldn’t change, but Dan determined not to cause others sorrow because of it.

Hearing Lovejoy say anything past ten days probably wasn’t related to the birthing released him of a burden he’d been carrying for more than two years now. Reba White was gone when Hannah went into labor with Ginny Mae, and Dan had to deliver their child. When Hannah didn’t spring back after the birthing, he’d worried he’d done something wrong. But Lovejoy said she’d tended over a hundred births. Surely she would know whereof she spoke.

I’ve been troubled by that for years. The relief is unspeakable
. He cast a glance back toward the house. Scrawny little Lovejoy’s plainspoken words had lifted a burden from his shoulders that he’d carried for far too long. With his guilt assuaged, the sorrow persisted…but it was almost bearable.

Alisa shouldn’t have had to worry all these months. The least I can do is give her and
Delilah peace of mind when it comes to them being in a motherly way. And I’m going to be certain Lovejoy stays to attend them when their time comes. She’s got a merciful heart and a gentle touch. Add to that, she’s capable. I’ll do anything to safeguard my brothers’ wives and make sure Titus and Paul never carry the burden I have
.

In the distance, he watched Lovejoy and Delilah take the wash off the clothesline. Delilah seemed to have perked up a bit. Having Lovejoy here was a good idea. She’d managed to rescue them all from a bad situation.
I’ll keep her here to be sure things go well
.

Having her here is a disaster
. Daniel glowered at Lovejoy two mornings later. He’d slept in his cabin last night and come to check the girls this morning. One look, and he’d been livid. Fortunately, the girls were well enough to go to the main house for breakfast, so he’d sent them ahead. Now he blocked Lovejoy’s exit. “What were you thinking?”