CHAPTER 9
Rowena
Rowena breathed deeply of the cold, fresh spring air, excitement filling her senses as she walked through the meadow on the way to school. Most of the snow had melted and spring flowers were poking their heads up from the damp ground. The air was filled with birdsong as the migratory birds returned from their winter homelands, and the sun shone brightly overhead. It was a good day to be alive.
She heard a horse approaching from behind and despite a prickle of unease at being alone on the trail, she turned to discover Jake riding up behind her. His face split into a wide grin as he saw her. It had been a week since they’d seen one another; he’d been working from daylight until dark with the plowing and planting and she knew she wouldn’t see much of him for a while yet.
Jake dismounted and stopped in front of her, holding the horse’s reins loosely in one hand.
“I was hoping I might see you,” he said.
Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at his familiar face. Each night, she went to bed dreaming of him, picturing his bright eyes and large hands as he told a story or drove his team. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and now that he was here in the flesh, her heart hammered. She’d been almost sorry when the snow melted and she was able to walk to school again because it meant that she saw a lot less of Jake.
“I didn’t expect you to come along but it is a most pleasant surprise,” she told him.
He fell into step beside her. “I’ll be glad when the spring planting is over. I’ll have more time then,” he said, looking at her as if he wanted to memorize every inch of her face. “You have such beautiful hair, Rowena,” he said softly. He reached out to touch it, his fingertips feather-light as they brushed a stray curl off her cheek. “I’ve hardly seen you without all your winter coverings.”
“I haven’t seen you much without them, either,” she told him. She’d guessed from his bushy dark beard that his hair was thick and dark, too, but her attention was drawn to his lips. So rosy and full for a man. She wondered what it would be like to kiss them and blushed at the thought.
“I’ve missed you,” Jake went on. “I did enjoy our sleigh rides to school so much.”
“So did I,” Rowena confessed.
Jake stopped walking and dropped the horse’s reins on the ground. He turned to face her and reached for her hands. “Rowena, I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that took her breath away. “Do you feel the same way about me?”
She dropped her eyes, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze. “I do,” she whispered.
“Would you … would you mind if I came a-courtin’?” he asked.
“That … that would be fine,” she managed, kicking herself at the same time. Of course it was more than fine. It was something she wanted to shout from the rooftops.
His face broke into a smile. “My dear Rowena,” he said softly, leaning closer.
His lips hovered just above hers; those rosy, luscious lips. As fire shot through her veins and her legs threatened to give way, Rowena found herself standing on tiptoe as her arms stole around Jake’s neck. He lowered his lips to hers and the exquisite sensation filled all her senses and sizzled down to her toes. Jake’s lips were firm and smooth and his beard tickled her cheek as he held her close. His kiss was gentle at first, then more urgent until at last he pulled away, breathless. His cheeks were flushed, and Rowena was sure there must be some evidence of his kiss on her own lips. Her heart hammered and her legs felt weak as she clung to Jake, her cheek against his shoulder.
“My dear,” his deep voice rumbled somewhere above her head. “I hope I did not offend you by being too forward.”
She shook her head, unable to trust herself to speak. “That was wonderful, Jake.”
He drew back and looked at her, disbelief and pleasure mingling in his expression. “Do you really mean that? I was afraid I had gone too far without your permission.”
“We must still be circumspect,” Rowena said. “You know what the gossip is like in a small town. And I am a teacher. Even though I don’t have a superintendent or school committee imposing rules upon my conduct, I still must be careful.”
He nodded. “I do understand. I will behave myself in the future, I promise.”
“But not too much,” Rowena teased, gratified to see the blush that stole across his cheeks.
“We probably won’t have a choice,” he returned. “The worthy ladies of Jackson will be watching every move we make once we announce that we are courting.”
“They have sharp eyes,” Rowena agreed. “Nothing escapes their notice.”
Jake smiled. “I’ve heard some of the less scrupulous men around town making bets on how long it would be before we announce our courtship.”
Rowena was shocked. “Courtship? You must jest.”
Jake shook his head. “There’s no dancin’ around the truth out here, my love. We say it as it is. Everyone has been watching us for a long time now. Even you must surely see that.”
“Why can’t people mind their own business?” Rowena sputtered.
Jake chuckled. “Because exciting things don’t happen here all that often. And everyone loves a story that makes them feel good. Besides, it’s part of the cycle of life. Falling in love is as natural as breathing. Nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”
“Well, if you look at all the rules we’ve created around courtship, you might think otherwise,” Rowena replied. “Oh, Jake, I don’t care what they think. I’m just happy to be with you.” She waved her arm around at the wildflowers strewn across the meadow. “Isn’t the springtime so beautiful? Look at the blue sky and the flowers! It’s such a wonderful time to be alive.”
Jake laughed at her exuberance and caught her hand as they continued walking. His felt large and secure around hers, and another flood of happiness washed through her heart. He smiled down at her, his muscular shoulder brushing against hers. Rowena wondered how much happiness one heart could hold.
“I do have one confession to make,” Jake said, becoming serious.
“What’s that?” Rowena asked, sure that whatever he said couldn’t possibly disturb the beauty of the moment.
“I was betrothed once,” Jake said with a sigh. “Back in Montana. I just wanted you to know.”
“What happened?” Rowena asked, wrinkling her nose.
“We had plans to wed, but then one day, my intended just left with no warning or explanation. I heard a rumor that someone had seen her in another town, but I never heard a word about where she’d gone or why. And there was trouble, too. It shook me up, so when Charlie invited me to come here and make a new start, I took the opportunity.” He paused. “But time has passed and I’m ready to try again.” He smiled at Rowena. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, my sweet Rowena.”
Rowena took his large hand and held it to her cheek. “I don’t care about what happened in the past,” she said. “I just want to enjoy being here with you now. Why spoil a wonderful moment with something that happened long ago?”
“That’s what I want, too,” Jake told her. “But I just wanted to be honest with you. I don’t want any secrets between us.”
“Nor do I,” Rowena agreed. “So to be fair, I suppose I should tell you why I came to Jackson. It was almost the same reason. My best friend loved the same man that I did. Only he chose her, not me. I was brokenhearted at first, but eventually, I decided I needed a fresh start, and just as I did, this teaching opportunity came up. It seemed to be an answer to my prayers.” She stopped walking and looked up at Jake. “I hope we’ll get the chance to continue this conversation,” she said. “But it would not look proper if we were seen walking into town together.” She glanced down the trail to the last bend before they would come into view of the town.
“That’s right,” Jake agreed, looking serious. “A man can be in a lot of trouble from mere appearances. But that doesn’t mean we’re done. There are many things I still want to tell you.”
His eyes met hers, full of secrets and promises. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks.
“Goodbye, Jake,” she said softly. “I will look forward to seeing you again soon.”
Jake raised her hand to his lips, his eyes on hers. “As will I, my dear Rowena,” he said quietly. “I will wait here for a few minutes.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him, grateful for his thoughtfulness. “I hope you have a wonderful day.”
“Oh, I will,” he assured her.“Seeing you has been the best thing that could’ve happened.”
As Rowena came into sight of the schoolhouse, she did her best to appear orderly and proper, but she could still feel the burn of Jake’s lips on hers and the sensation of his arms firmly around her. Would anyone notice?
The day flew by, filled with lessons and preparations for the upcoming school picnic, to be held after church. Rowena was glad church had resumed after the long break during the winter months. Now, some of the men were taking turns to deliver a sermon, but soon they would have a new preacher and everyone was getting excited. It would be good to have regular services again. Life was rosy with happiness, and she couldn’t imagine ever feeling melancholy again.
An excited buzz filled the small wooden church after the service. Children squirmed, eager to run and play after sitting still, and the parents hurried to set out the picnic cloths and hampers they’d brought, filled to the brim with hearty food to satisfy their hungry broods.
Rowena smiled as she made her way down the path to walk to the schoolyard nearby. People stopped to greet her and there were several new faces, a sure sign that their small town was growing.
She helped Rebecca gather the food from the wagon and then watched the baby while Rebecca set it out. Little Thomas was restless, so Rowena took him for a walk. She intended to talk to friends while keeping Thomas out of Rebecca’s way.
She spotted Jake sitting on a picnic rug among friends and headed in his direction. She was surprised to see a red-haired woman she hadn’t met sitting with them; perhaps the woman was a friend of Lily, Matthew’s wife. The woman was around Rowena’s age or a little older, with an abundance of red curls piled high on her head, dainty features, and a loud laugh that grated on Rowena’s nerves. She was wearing a lilac dress that drew attention to her bosom, and she appeared to be the center of attention. Rowena decided she would meet the stranger before forming opinions about her; after all, the world was full of nice people who were a little different from everyone else, and Rowena wouldn’t judge anyone before getting to know them.
But as she approached, the red-haired woman looked up and took Jake’s arm possessively. Silence fell as the friends sitting around on the picnic rug watched Rowena or averted their eyes.
“Good afternoon, Miss Williams,” Jake greeted her at last. “Have you met Poppy Hartman?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t.” Rowena stooped to offer her hand to the newcomer, the baby cradled in the crook of her arm.
Poppy gave her hand a cursory shake, then tossed her magnificent curls. “I’m Jake’s betrothed,” she purred. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Williams. That’s a fine baby boy you have there.”
“He’s not mine,” Rowena said, shocked. “He … he belongs to Rebecca over there.” She pointed vaguely in Rebecca’s direction. How could she manage inane small talk when her world had just gone into a spin?Her heart pounded and her breath felt shaky, and she had no idea what to do.
Jake looked stricken and couldn’t meet her eyes, but he did nothing to correct Poppy. He allowed her to hang onto his arm as if she owned him. How dare he kiss Rowena and whisper sweet words to her when this brazen creature claimed ownership of his heart? And if things were truly over between them, why didn’t he stop her? Why didn’t he tell her that they were no longer betrothed?
Stricken with shock, anger, and the beginnings of grief, Rowena turned. “I’ll see you all later,” she managed, trying not to burst into tears. “Enjoy your meal.”
An awkward silence followed her departure, but she didn’t care. She could feel the heat burning in her cheeks, and Rebecca instantly noticed when she returned to their picnic rug and placed Thomas next to Lucy.
“I’m not hungry,” she told Rebecca. “This looks wonderful.” She indicated the chicken pie, the corn and beans, and the cornbread with fresh butter. “But I’m not feeling so well. I’m sorry. Don’t wait for me. I’ll walk home.”
She turned on her heel and fled to the safety of the schoolhouse, grateful that she had the key on a chain around her neck. She locked the door behind her, hoping no one had noticed her departure, then fled to the storeroom, shut that door, and cried her eyes out.