Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hannah pressed her lips worriedly together as she leaned in the doorway of Isaac and Louis’s bedroom.
Louis was already asleep thanks to the laudanum Dr. Fulton had prescribed, and Isaac was sitting up on the other side of the bed, reading silently from Garrett’s Bible.
It had shocked her the other day when Isaac asked if he could borrow the Book, but it also touched her heart that Garrett was so readily willing to let him do so.
She was grateful that even though she still struggled with her faith, her siblings did not seem to have such an issue.
It had been a week since Louis’s accident, and he was healing up well; even if he was already starting to complain about being in bed all the time.
Hannah almost smiled at the thought. She’d love to spend a week in bed and not have a thing to worry about.
There was so much to worry about at any given time, and the list seemed to grow longer by the day.
Loui’s arm. Jacob’s behavior. Garrett’s bouts of contemplative silence and expression of worry when he thought she wasn’t looking.
The new addition to the adobe. The grocery list, which despite the children’s growing appetites, was being made smaller with the way Garrett scratched certain things off.
“How’s he doing?” Garrett whispered, interrupting her thoughts.
From behind, Garrett’s large hands slipped over her shoulders, and his soothing touch dispersed her worries at once.
“Just fine,” she whispered back, “He will probably be out for the rest of the night.”
“Good, we should get going then. We don’t want to be late,” Garrett replied.
Hannah worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she glanced down at her dress.
She’d been having trouble sleeping again, so to pass the time she’d been working on taking two of her old dresses and fashioning them into one new one.
She’d used the white as a base, leaving the sleeves, high collar, and skirts, but she’d sewn the dusky blue one into the front to widen the skirts and add a splash of color.
With some creativity and a bit of spare wiring from the barn, she’d also been able to fashion a hoop for the wider skirts.
It was, in her opinion, nowhere near as pretty as the dresses Grace or the other ladies wore to Church, but at least now it was similar fashion-wise. Still, she was hesitant to wear it where others could see and judge.
“Maybe you should just go,” Hannah said, turning to face Garrett.
Garrett’s answering expression was one of patient amusement as he took her hands.
“You’re Amanda’s friend now, too,” he replied, rubbing soothing circles into the tops of her hands with his thumbs. “She wants to celebrate her birthday with both of us. Besides, it is the least we could do for her. She has been out three times this week to help keep an eye on Louis.”
Hannah cast her gaze to the floor, knowing Garrett was right. Not only had she helped with Louis, but Amanda had also taken the time to show Hannah how to fashion her hair into a neat bun, which Hannah had styled in preparation for her friend’s party, and take her cookies to sell at the grocer.
“You’re right,” Hannah agreed, trying to push her rising anxiety back down. “It would be selfish of me to stay behind.”
“Besides, Isaac is good with watching the children, aren’t you, Isaac?” Garrett said, looking over Hannah’s shoulder to the oldest boy.
Hannah turned around just as Isaac raised his head and smiled.
“You bet,” Isaac replied as he shut Garrett’s Bible. “In fact, I’m going to go check on the others now that Louis is asleep. You two go on, have a great time at Amanda’s birthday party.”
Knowing she couldn’t make any more excuses, Hannah placed a kiss on Louis’s cheek as he slept, hugged Isaac, grabbed the plate of cookies she’d prepared for the birthday, and then went outside to the front porch to say goodbye to Rebecca, Maria, and Jacob.
As always, Jacob barely acknowledged her as she spoke, and as always, she wished there was something she could say or do to improve his mood.
Rebecca and Maria handed Hannah the bouquet of wild desert flowers they’d picked for Amanda’s birthday present, and after sharing quick kisses on one another’s cheeks, Hannah waved goodbye to her siblings from her seat on the buggy.
As Garrett drove them down the long lane, Hannah did her best to focus on her surroundings and not her thoughts.
She took in the delightful yellow, pink, and violet rays the sinking sun was splashing over the land.
Breathed in the fresh, warm breeze. Felt the steady rhythm of the buggy and the horse that pulled it as it carried them toward town.
The handsome husband who sat beside her.
The feel of that husband’s hand as he rested it on her knee in an act of growing familiarity. These were all things she now loved.
“Now that there aren’t any little ears around,” Garrett said, breaking the silence between them, “Will you tell me why you were trying to find an excuse not to go to Amanda’s birthday party?”
Hannah glanced over at him sheepishly, and he gave her a side smile.
“Come on,” he urged, “I’m getting better every day at reading those little expressions of yours. You’re worried about something. Tell me.”
Despite her nervousness, Hannah smiled, then her heart did a little flip as Garrett moved his hand from her knee to her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles. His show of affection made her want to tell the truth, even if she knew deep down it was silly.
“I guess I’m just still a little nervous to be around Grace,” she confessed, holding on to Garrett’s hand for strength. “I know she’s been nicer to me recently, but I guess I worry that there’s some lingering feelings she might have toward you.”
She paused, then reluctantly added, “Or feelings you might have toward her. I’m getting in the way of you two if you’re meant to be.”
“No,” Garrett quickly countered, pressing her hand to his chest, “No, you are not getting in the way of anything. I’ve never had those feelings, and as for Grace, I don’t even think she has those feelings for me anymore.
She just wants a way out of marrying one of those awful old men her father keeps trying to force her to court. ”
Garrett looked over to Hannah, his dark eyes pleading for her to believe him.
“We’re all going to put this mess behind us, and we’re going to be friends,” he urged.
For Garrett’s sake and her own, Hannah silently prayed that he was right.
***
Hannah’s cheeks began to hurt as she once again smiled and laughed with Amanda, Mrs. Hayes, and even Grace.
As Garrett had promised, the party was warm and lively, and thus far, despite Grace and Dean’s presence, there was no tension to speak of.
Dean and Logan were gathered near Garrett and Mr. Hayes, talking animatedly as if Dean had never had his outburst in the first place.
Grace, in turn, was also polite and included her in the conversation.
Tonight there were no harsh words, no barbs, just a group of good friends celebrating a birthday.
“Oh, you girls keep me young!” Mrs. Hayes gushed as she squeezed Hannah and Amanda to her, “Thank you for including me, but I better get the dinner finished so we can all eat.”
“Oh, I can help with that, Mrs. Hayes,” Hannah quickly offered.
“Don’t be silly! I just have to pull some things out of the oven,” Mrs. Hayes replied, heading toward the kitchen.
“No, no, let us help you, Mama,” Amanda insisted, grabbing Hannah’s hand.
“Yes, we’d be happy to,” Grace added, following behind Amanda and Hannah.
“You girls are so kind,” Mrs. Hayes praised as they all headed into the kitchen.
Together the four of them worked to bring out the small feast. A roasted turkey. A bowl of boiled potatoes. Gravy. Carrots. Cornbread. Honey and butter, and last, Hannah’s plate of cookies.
“I was so excited when you brought us more cookies,” Mrs. Hayes said as she guided Hannah and Grace to their seats. “They are so delicious! I simply have to have the recipe.”
Hannah smiled, grateful for the compliment, but tensed as she realized that Mrs. Hayes had sat Grace directly across from her as Amanda and her mother flittered off to gather the men to the table.
Her smile turned awkward as she met Grace’s steady stare, and Hannah fretfully clasped her hands together.
“I think it is so lovely that even as adults, you all come together to celebrate each other’s birthdays,” Hannah tentatively stated. “I, um, I never had a chance to attend such a thing back in Michigan.”
Grace’s smile was tight as she gave a curt nod.
“Yes, it’s a tradition we have kept up since we were children,” Grace replied. “Our friendship, it seems, runs very deep. We’re family, really.”
Tense seconds ticked by as Hannah thought of how to reply to such a statement.
“Speaking of family,” Grace went on, “Amanda told me of your little brother’s accident. I do hope he is recovering nicely.”
Hannah nodded readily.
“He is, thank you,” she replied, “Annoyed at the bedrest, but he will hopefully be able to get back on his feet in just a few more weeks.”
“How wonderful,” Grace replied as her smile grew wider, “I remember when Garrett was just a few years older than Louis and he got his shoulder injury. Terrible thing. Took forever to heal and still bothers him from time to time.”
Hannah’s brows furrowed in confusion as her stomach twisted. She quickly thought of Garrett’s quick dismissal of Doctor Fulton’s worries when he’d brought it up during their visit to his office. Garrett had assured them both that it wasn’t a bother.
“What do you mean?” Hannah warily asked, “How serious was Garrett’s injury?”
“Grace,” Garrett’s deep voice was full of warning as he spoke from behind Hannah. She turned at the stern tone in his deep voice and found him, Dean, Logan, Amanda, and Mr. and Mrs. Hayes looking at her and Hannah tensely.
“There’s no need to bring up the past,” Garrett said, his warning gaze settled on Grace. “I’m fine now.”