Chapter 19
Jackson brushed the dust from his hands and waited.
From a distance, the carriage and team appeared to be Oliver’s.
As the carriage drew closer, Jackson made out the form of a second person on the bench—a female.
He prayed it was Caroline, but it could be Peggy.
She’d had a penchant for surprising him since they were kids.
If it were her, he would alter his plans. But he wouldn’t let anything stop him from going to Greenvale.
A smile spread across Jackson’s face as Oliver drove into the yard. He wouldn’t have to go anywhere.
She’d come back.
Jackson’s smile melted Caroline’s heart, as it always had. If she wasn’t careful, that alone would undermine her resolve. She hadn’t returned to leap into his arms and promise him a future. She’d done it so he wouldn’t have to be alone for the holiday.
“Aunt Caroline!” Noah called from the porch. He led Jewel down the steps, and they both ran out to the carriage.
Jackson handed Caroline down, then picked Jewel up and held her. He didn’t say anything, just kept smiling.
“I have a present for you from your Grandmother Bennet,” Caroline said to Jewel. She held out a fabric doll her mother had sewn. It had a custom-made dress, embroidered features, and yarn for hair.
Jewel took it with a look of awe. “Pwetty.” She hugged it to her chest.
“Tell her thank you,” Jackson prodded gently.
“Tank you, Aunt Cawoline.”
“You’re very welcome.”
She glanced at Jackson long enough to send a silent plea, then looked down at Noah, who was standing next to him. “I have something for you, too.” She reached into the carriage and lifted out his gift.
Noah’s eyes turned to saucers. “My puppy!” He started toward her, then paused and looked up at Jackson.
“You can keep him.”
Noah ran and took the squirming bundle of fur into his arms. He carried it to the porch, giggling as it licked his face and wagged its tail so enthusiastically it nearly fell out of his arms.
Jackson shook his head and chuckled.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“Nah,” he said turning back to her. “Before you arrived, I was calculating how much wheedling I’d have to do to convince Peggy to take a dog.”
“I wired her and told her not to come. I hope you don’t mind that presumption either.”
His gaze warmed and locked with hers. “No.”
“I came so you could spend Christmas with your children,” Caroline informed him to curb his wrong impression. “And, if you like, I’m willing to accompany them on the train afterwards.”
His smile disappeared, as she’d expected, but what replaced it was an expressionless stare.
“Am I welcome to stay?” she asked, suddenly unsure.
“Of course, you are. I’m glad you came.”
“So am I.” She reached for Jewel. “I’ll take her so you can help Mr. Ames with my trunk.”
The day was mild for mid-December, so Caroline climbed the steps of the porch and sat in one of the chairs with Jewel on her lap.
Jewel spent a few minutes examining her doll, then handed it to her and got down to play with Noah’s puppy.
“Have you decided what his name is going to be?” Caroline asked Noah as the men wagged her trunk past them, into the house.
“I thought about Patch, because of the black fur around his eye, but I think Ranger suits him better.”
“I agree.”
Caroline stood when the men returned. “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Ames.”
He tipped his hat. “Always a pleasure. Want me to tell Rudy Dolan you don’t need him?” he asked Jackson.
“Let the plans stand for now. My wife’s headstone is scheduled to arrive at Fort Kearney next week. He can run things here while I go get it.” Jackson reached into his pocket. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothin’. Bill’s been settled.” Mr. Ames smiled at the children. “Take good care of that puppy, Noah.”
“I will!”
Jackson watched the children play and giggle at the puppy’s antics until Mr. Ames drove out of the yard. “There’s a roast beef sandwich in the kitchen if you’re hungry,” he said to Caroline. “I need to turn the horses out to graze.”
“Could you stay a minute more? I have another gift for Noah.”
Caroline reached under her coat and took out a small drawstring bag made of leather.
“When your uncles heard you were getting a puppy, they took up a collection.” She set the bag in the palm of Noah’s hand, causing its contents to clink.
“They said it’s yours, but you mustn’t go out and spend it.
You are to hide this far in the depths of the root cellar.
Then, if times get so hard that you uncover it, you can use it to feed your dog. ”
Noah weighed the bag in his hand. “That’s a great gift.” He handed it to Jackson. “Papa, hide it for me.”
Jackson pocketed the bag and held his tongue, lest he say something unkind. The charity grated, but he understood its purpose, to allay his objection and keep the pet from being a burden.
What he couldn’t understand was what had possessed Caroline to bring the dog at all if she didn’t plan to stay. He was grateful to have more time with his children, but her visit did little to improve his holiday, and her gift would make things harder on Noah once it was over.
Caroline stared at Jackson’s back as he’d walked away, knowing full well he was angry.
A little muscle near his lip twitched whenever he held his irritation in.
But she wasn’t sure of the cause. It couldn’t be the dog.
He’d denied it, and he’d all but brought the animal home himself. Maybe it was over the bag of coins.
Despite his sullen mood that persisted, she spent the week doing what she came to do—care for the children and the house, so Jackson could have more time with them. Maybe, someday, he’d appreciate her efforts.
At the sound of hooves in the yard, Caroline pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and looked out the window at Jackson riding away on his horse. He’d be gone two days to get Amanda’s headstone then return with enough men to lift it and set it on its final resting place.
Caroline would worry about Jackson until she saw him again. His return would be a relief. But so would his absence.
Being near him stirred warm feelings as well as resentment.
He’d give her forever if she asked, but she wasn’t sure she could stand forever if this was how it would feel.
Every time she imagined the two of them together, memories of his betrayal trampled through her head and stomped across her heart.
His reasons absolved him of blame, but it didn’t erase the damage.
“Morning, Aunt Caroline,” Noah said from behind her.
“Good morning,” she replied as he came down the stairs and headed for the front door, Ranger at his heels. “Where are you going?”
“Taking him to do his business,” he said as he hurried to put on his coat.
“Why the front yard?”
“If I take him out back, the kittens hiss at him.”
Caroline hid her smile behind her hand as he left. She put some dried apples on to stew, to go with the sausage and toast she’d prepared earlier for Jackson. The children would appreciate the sweet, and so would she.
Noah came back in, shivering. “It’s cold out there. Papa said it might snow.”
“It very well might. Go stand by the fire.”
Noah removed his coat then sat on the rug in front of the hearth with Ranger. “I hope the snow doesn’t keep Papa from making it back home.”
“It might delay him a little, but that’s all. Your father has traveled in all kinds of weather.”
“He was going to take Jewel and me on a trip, but then you showed up.”
Surely, he hadn’t told them… “A trip to where?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“To visit your grandparents?”
“No. To visit you.”
It took four men to move the headstone off the wagon and place it on Amanda’s grave—Mr. Ames, Mr. Green, Mr. Dolan, and Jackson. The marker was a solid piece of pale marble expertly engraved and embellished with flowers and vines.
Caroline joined the men as they removed their hats and stood in a loose circle. “It’s beautiful, Jackson.”
He looked at her with moist eyes, then cleared his throat and turned his attention to the others. “Thank you for helping. You’re welcome to stay for lunch.”
His offer was met with a masculine chorus of polite declinations.
“Are you sure?” Caroline asked. “There’s plenty of soup to go around.”
The group repeated themselves and collectively shook their heads.
“I ‘preciate the offer,” Mr. Green said as the other two men mounted the wagon and prepared to drive it back toward the house, “really, I do. But I has to get back to tha mill. I would like to see that pup afore I go, though. I bet he’s growed so much I won’t know ‘im.”
“Noah’s playing with him on the porch. Go see them if you like.”
Mr. Green replaced his hat, lifting it briefly, and hopped on back of the wagon with his legs dangling off. “Thank ya, Miss Bennet. I will.”
The other men bid her farewell and drove away.
Caroline took a few more steps, then paused and looked back.
Jackson still stood at the grave.
She stayed where she was and waited. After the way he’d barked at her last time, she didn’t dare intrude on a private moment, but neither did she want to leave him completely alone.
A few minutes later, he put his hat back on. He’d taken several steps before the tilt of his head and the angle of his posture said he’d noticed her. His gait faltered, only a single step that she’d almost missed, but it had.
When his pace slowed, and stiffness invaded his spine, Caroline wanted to watch him, to figure out the reason for the change, but she turned and headed for the house. Like last time, he’d probably shed a few tears and was embarrassed to be seen.
December 24th
Jackson stabled his horse and threw the bundle of supplies over his shoulder. He couldn’t afford to be extravagant, but he’d bought a few things to make the children’s Christmas memorable.