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“I am sure I shall. Thank you.” She picked one up, and when she bit into it, a flavorful blend of cinnamon, clove and apple delighted her taste buds.
Leah sat across from her with an expectant look.
Rainee dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the cloth napkin provided her. “One of the best cookies I have ever eaten. You must teach me how to make them.” To prove her enjoyment, she devoured another cookie.
“I would love to.”
“By the way, I am Rainelle. Rainelle Victoria Devonwood. But please, call me Rainee.”
“Nice to meet you, Rainee.” Leah chewed on the corner of her bottom lip. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I saw you with my brother.” She squirmed and glanced toward the kitchen. “Are you and he…? You know?” She spiked her shoulder in a quick upward motion. “How do you know Haydon?”
“Leah. That is none of your business.” Rainee’s gaze swung toward Katherine’s voice.
Leah jumped up and lowered her head. “Sorry, Mother.” She glanced over at Rainee. “Sorry, Rainee.”
“No harm done.” She did her best to send Leah a reassuring smile.
The young girl gave a quick nod and then looked at her mother as if she were seeking approval.
“Leah, go see what your sister is up to.”
“Yes, Mother.” She gave a shy smile Rainee’s direction, then quietly left the room.
Katherine sat in the chair Leah had occupied. “Are you feeling better now?” Compassion, so like her own mother’s, floated from this woman.
Rainee had to look away. Heartsickness for her mother consumed her once again. She wondered if she would ever get used to the fact her mother was never coming back. That she would never comfort Rainee or give her words of wisdom again.
She plastered on a smile and faced Katherine. “Yes, ma’am. I am much better. Thank you.”
Katherine fidgeted with her hands and darted her gaze out the window, onto her lap, back out the window, until it finally alighted on Rainee. “Rainee, I think there’s something you should know.”
Rainee braced herself for whatever was coming. From the tone in Katherine’s voice, it was not good news.
“Mother, I’ll handle this.”
Rainee swung her gaze toward Haydon, who stood filling the doorway.
Katherine’s chest rose and fell. Her hands quit squirming and finally rested in her lap.
“I’m afraid there’s been a huge mistake.” Haydon strode over and sat across from her next to Katherine.
“What—what do you mean a mistake?” Rainee felt the blood drain from her face.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to say it. I’m really sorry, but my brother Jesse sent for you, Rainee, not me.”
Blinking, Rainee fought not to react. “I—I do not understand.” She looked at Katherine, then at Haydon. “You told me Jesse is married.”
“He is.”
Question after question chased through Rainee’s mind about what this all meant. Surely these people were not one of those religious groups who believed it was okay to have several wives. The air in the room thickened. Just what had she gotten herself into? She stared at Haydon, waiting for him to continue, yet dreading it at the same time.
“He sent for you. But not for himself.”
Hearing Haydon say that at least put Rainee’s fears to rest about the numerous wives, but she still did not have a clue as to what was going on.
“He thought he was doing me a favor. And you.” He raked his hand through his hair.
Rainee closed her eyes as disappointment, concern and dread inhabited her body. The cookies in her stomach turned to stone. What would she do now? She did not need him to tell her the rest. She already knew. He did not want her here. Her solution had just evaporated before her very eyes.
Never before had she felt so alone.
Usually when a situation arose, memories of her mother’s advice came to her. But not this time. Even her mother’s words were as silent as the grave.
Grave. That one word always ripped at Rainee’s heart, and this time was no different, but she refused to cry in the presence of these strangers.
“Rainee.”
Her eyes drifted toward the woman who emanated compassion.
“Jesse meant well. But my son has a tendency to not think things through before he acts.”
“That’s for sure.” Anger sliced through Haydon’s tone. “When he saw your advertisement, he decided to send for you. But unfortunately, he didn’t mention it to me or anyone else.”
That much was obvious. So now what?
Seeing the lingering question in Katherine’s eyes, Rainee plucked up her courage and looked directly at her. “I know you must think it quite strange a woman would advertise for a husband, but please believe me when I tell you I had to.” She glanced at Haydon, then back at Katherine. “You see, my parents died and I…” Her courage vanished. Rainee could not bring herself to share the sordid details of her life with these people. “I just had to.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. If I hadn’t had my sons to take care of me when my husband passed away, I’d have probably done the same thing. I think what you did took a lot of courage.”
Courage was not what propelled her to write the advertisement. Fear had.
Afraid they would see the moisture forming in her eyes and start asking questions, questions she did not want to answer, Rainee stood and forced one shaky leg in front of the other as she walked to the window.
No one could find out she had a brother back in Little Rock. For she could not risk being sent back. Neither could she risk Ferrin finding her. The only thing that could save her now was to get married right away. And based on what she had just heard, there was not going to be a wedding here in Paradise Haven.
Scenario after scenario about what she could do now ran through Rainee’s mind. With each one, the air thickened with fear. The idea of going back home to that monster tied her stomach into knots and breathing became difficult.
With her back to them, the question she hated to ask but knew she must slid past her lips in a choppy rasp, “Where—where does that leave me?” Spots danced before her eyes, and her body swayed, then blackness pulled her into its embrace.
Chapter Four
Haydon leapt to his feet but could not make it to the window fast enough to catch Rainee. Her small body slumped to the floor. Her vulnerability tugged at his heart. The anger and frustration he’d had toward Jesse came back full force.
Willing himself to feel nothing, Haydon slipped his arms under her knees and back and hoisted her up. She didn’t budge but hung as limp as Abby’s rag doll. She looked helpless, alone and frail. He tucked her closer into his chest. Her vulnerability and the feel of her feminine frame and soft hair draping over his arm touched something deep inside him. Something he never wanted to feel again rose in him. He shoveled away the unwelcome feelings and buried them deep in an unmarked grave.
“Oh, Haydon, that poor girl. Wait until I see Jesse. I am going to give that boy a piece of my mind. What was he thinking?”
That’s what Haydon had been trying to figure out, too.
“Take her up to Leah’s room and lay her on the extra bed. I’ll get a cool cloth and some water.” His mother scampered into the kitchen.
On his way up the steps, he noticed the stains of tears on her cheeks. Protective feelings flooded through him like a massive gulley wash, but he refused to let them take possession. No! I don’t want to feel anything. However, when he lowered her onto the bed, rather than walking away, he gazed down at her, wondering what would become of her once they sorted the whole muddled issue out.
The stairs creaked. He shook out of the thoughts and strode toward the door. He took the water basin from his mother.
Thinking was dangerous. He held the bowl while his mother dipped a cloth into it and laid it on Rainee’s forehead.
The young woman stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
Haydon’s breath hitched at the sight of those beautiful fawn-colored eyes—eyes he had avoided the whole way home. Eyes a man could get lost in if he wasn’t careful.
Dread and confusion emanated from her.
He hated seeing her like that. His arms ached to wrap her in them and comfort her. To tell her everything would be okay. That he would take care of her and protect her.
What was he thinking?
Fear slugged into him like a fist. He jerked his gaze away and quickly set the basin on the nightstand, sloshing a small amount of water over the side. Without bothering to wipe it up, he spun on his heel and called over his shoulder, “If you need me for anything else, just holler.” Haydon skipped steps as he barreled down them. Out the front door and into the fresh air he flew. He refused to give heed to the feelings Rainee aroused in him. Feelings that scared him to death. From now on, the farther he stayed away from her, the better.
Rainee sat up. She would love nothing more than to bury herself with the yellow patchwork quilt underneath her, but that would solve nothing. All her well-laid plans were falling apart around her. She had no money and no place to go. And no future husband.
“Rainee?”
Her vision trailed toward Katherine, who smelled of baked bread and wood smoke.
“I am truly sorry, Mrs. Bowen. I am not normally one given to fainting spells. But this news has come as quite a shock to me. I am at a loss as to what to do next. All I know is, I cannot go back. I simply cannot.”
“It’s Katherine, and please don’t apologize for fainting. I certainly understand. I’d probably faint too under the same circumstances.” Katherine sat on the bed next to her and took her hand. “I am more sorry than words can say for what my son did. I want you to know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you wish.”
Once again, questions chased other questions through Rainee’s mind. Should she stay? Should she go? Should she take Katherine up on her offer until she had time to figure out what to do? The way she saw it, she really had no other choice.
She searched the woman’s eyes, seeking something. Reassurance perhaps? That all would be well? What she saw was a kind woman offering her compassion and a place to stay. Her chest heaved, expelling some of the tension in her body. “Are you sure you do not mind?”
“I’m positive. Now, why don’t I have Haydon bring up your things? I’m sure you’d like to clean up before dinner. I’ll heat some water so you can take a bath.”
“No, no. Please, do not trouble yourself on my account,” Rainee said even though a bath sounded heavenly. She did not want to give this woman any reason to send her back. And while she would not take advantage of Katherine’s kind offer and hospitality for long, she was grateful for the time to come up with another plan.
If only her mother’s words of wisdom would rise up in her, but they would not because Rainee had never encountered anything like this while her mother was still alive. How could either of them ever have envisioned this? The next-closest thing she had to a mother now was Jenetta. The older woman would know what to do. But she was not here. She was back home in Little Rock with her husband and three children.
Something Jenetta had said popped into her mind. “You hang on to that other Christian gentleman’s letter in case thangs don’t work out.” The other letter. Stems of hope sprouted through the darkness. She did have another option. Thank You, Lord.
Having received many responses to her advertisement, she had kept the two most promising letters. One she had responded to, the other, well, his letter was tucked securely in her trunk. Although it saddened her that things did not work out with Haydon, she would write the other man straightaway.
“It’s no trouble at all.” Katherine’s voice snapped her out of her musings. “I’ll start heating the water now. As soon as Haydon gets your things up here, you can come down and take a bath.” She smiled, stood and turned to leave the room. At the door, she stopped. With her hand still on the knob, she looked back at Rainee. “I really am sorry for what my son did. And I meant what I said about you staying here as long as you like.” Katherine’s smile seemed to hold a secret. But just what kind of secret Rainee did not know.
“Would you please take Rainee’s things up to Leah’s room?” Haydon’s mother pointed to the trunk he had placed on the porch when they had arrived. “She’ll be staying with us.”
His eyebrows slammed against the brim of his hat. “What do you mean she’s staying with us? For how long?” He could no more hold back the panic from his voice than he could hold back a raging river.
“For as long as she likes.”
Haydon recognized that smile. His mother was up to something. Just what, he wasn’t sure. But something.
He leaned over and grabbed the handles of Rainee’s trunk and hoisted it up. His mother opened the door and motioned him by. “Just what I need,” he spoke under his breath as he walked past her.
“She just might be.”
Haydon swung around so fast the trunk dropped from his hands and thudded onto his foot. He jerked his foot up, put it down, jerked it up again and put it down, all the while holding back the words he wanted to fling out in anger. Without looking at his mother, he snatched the trunk up again and tromped his way up the stairs.
“Haydon.” The sternness in his mother’s voice stopped him.
Halfway up the stairs, he balanced the trunk on his knee and turned his head toward his mother.
She shook her finger at him. “You be nice to my guest, and don’t you dare make her feel uncomfortable.”
Make her uncomfortable!
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he turned and trudged up the stairs. This whole stupid mess stuck inside him like an infected splinter.
At Leah’s bedroom door, he stopped and called, “Rainee.” He made every effort possible to keep the irritation from his voice, when what he really wanted to do was take her and her trunk into town and drop her off at Mrs. Swedberg’s boardinghouse. But the older widow woman never had any available rooms. Besides, even if she did, his mother had already made it clear Rainee was her guest now, and that was that.
“Come in,” she said in that sweet Southern drawl of hers that drove clean through every part of him.
“I’m here with your trunk.” He pushed the door all the way open with his back and turned inside. “Where would you like this?” He refused to look over at her. Refused to let her get under his skin any further.
“Over here, please.”
He had no choice but to look now as she pointed to the end of the bed.
His gaze snagged on her hands. She still had on those lacey gloves. Why would she wear such fancy gloves in the house? This wasn’t some fancy ball.
Fancy balls.
Melanie.
Thoughts of his wife were always one careless notion away but exactly what he needed to keep from being drawn in by Rainee. For that, he was almost grateful to the memories. As fast as he could, Haydon set her trunk at the foot of the bed and turned to leave.
“Haydon?”
He looked back at her. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Thank you.” She put her head down and played with the tips of her fingers. “I want you to know that as soon as I can, I will be leaving. I am truly sorry for what your brother has put you through.”
“Put me through?” Haydon was instantly chagrinned at his uncharitable thoughts. Rainee was the real victim here. “What about what he put you through? You came all this way for nothing. When I think about what you must be feeling right now…” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. I’m really sorry, Rainee. Truly.” He found he meant it. No one deserved to be treated like that.
“It is okay, Haydon. I have a home for now. And one of the other Christian gentlemen who answered my advertisement offered me a home as well, so I am not completely without options.”
One of the other gentlemen? How many men had actually responded to her ad? Were there that many desperate men out there?
