EPILOGUE
1 year later
Rowena
Rowena gathered up her things for the last time and turned to look around the schoolroom that had been the reason for her arrival in Jackson. She paused for a moment to say a quiet goodbye in her heart. The walls of this small room held a lot of memories from the past two years, and she would always be grateful for the events that had led her to this place. She would miss the students, each one with their unique way of looking at the world, and she would miss the familiar routine of arriving each morning in the quiet time before school began and finishing the day in peace after another day of shaping young minds.
But the time had come for a new phase of life, and as bittersweet as it was to close this chapter, she was eager to begin the next. In just over a week, she would become Jake’s wife, and she still could hardly believe it. After the disappointments and heartaches that love had cast at her door, she was almost afraid to embrace it lest it be snatched away from her again.
But Jake had no such qualms, and she smiled as she heard his footsteps on the porch. A moment later, the door opened and he entered, his eyes lighting up as they met hers. He strode forward and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“How is my beautiful bride-to-be?” he rumbled.
Rowena looked up at the large man who would soon join his life with hers. “I had a good day. Did you?”
He smiled. “I did. I finished planting the biggest field, so I thought I’d celebrate by meeting my favorite schoolteacher and giving her a ride home on her last day.”
“Thank you,” Rowena replied, touched by his thoughtfulness. “I’m a bit sad to leave but I’m looking forward to the future.” She slipped her hand into his. “Our future,” she said shyly.
Jake squeezed her hand and picked up the box with her things in it. “I can imagine,” he replied. “Sometimes it feels sad to leave something behind but at the same time be excited about what comes next.”
They went to the porch and Rowena locked the schoolhouse door for the last time. She would have to return the key to a member of the school board, but it could wait. Right now, she was going to enjoy a ride home with Jake. Even though she enjoyed the walk, he’d made the effort to meet her, and she appreciated that.
“How are Charlie and Robert today?” she asked as Jake helped her into the wagon.
He chuckled. “Tired and grumpy. The baby kept everyone awake last night.”
Rowena laughed too. “Two old grandpas, a nurse and a baby. What a strange mix of humanity in one cabin.”
“It’s just as well Charlie made it bigger. Now he can escape to his own room at least.”
“I guess he spends a lot of time at the barn now,” Rowena smiled. “I never imagined him taking in his brother and Poppy’s child.”
“Charlie has a heart of gold,” Jake said.
“It’s just as well Robert had some actual gold so he could hire the nurse. I’m surprised Poppy didn’t manage to get hold of it while she was here. She was quite persistent.”
“Robert is no fool,” Jake replied. “He might have been at death’s door, but there was nothing wrong with his mind. He knew what she wanted.”
“He must have been convincing,” Rowena said. “She went away thinking he was penniless.”
“It’s worked out in the end,” Jake agreed. “Robert had the means to hire the nurse so Poppy’s baby would have a family. It’s his way of trying to make up for his failure as her father.”
“Did he tell you that?” Rowena asked.
“In a roundabout way, yes. He wanted his granddaughter to have the stable life that his daughter never did. Not that living with the nurse is easy. She’s always bossing them around, but Robert takes it with good grace. I think he considers it the penance he deserves.”
Rowena laughed again. “It’s a story with a good ending,” she agreed. “Little Constance will grow up with two doting grandfathers and a good community where she belongs.”
“She’s unlikely to ever see much of her mother,” Jake replied.
Rowena felt sad at the thought. “I wish things had turned out differently for Poppy.”
News had filtered through that Poppy had gone to jail for more than just taking a shot at her father. She was wanted in several counties for various offences and it would be a long time before she was free again.
Jake sighed. “So do I.” He fell silent for a moment. “She could’ve had the respectable life she wanted if only she had put aside her selfishness and gone about it the right way. That was her mistake.”
“Being respectable is hard for some people,” Rowena said. “Especially when they face the disadvantages that Poppy faced. I feel sad for her.”
“I do too, but no one can make her choices for her. She’s an adult and chooses for herself.” Jake guided the team around the big rock on the edge of the trail before speaking again. “There’s not much we can do for Poppy but pray that the Lord will work with her. I’m more interested in us, my dear.”
Rowena leaned her head against his shoulder, contentment flooding her heart. “I’m looking forward to our wedding,” she said.
Jake smiled down at her. “So am I. I can’t wait until we don’t have to say goodbye at your doorstep each time I see you. Soon, we can see one another whenever we want, and I can tell you, that will be wonderful.” His blue eyes sparkled with happiness. “Would you like to come over before I take you home and see what I’ve done with the cabin since you were there last? I planned to surprise you with it later, but why not now?”
“I’d like that,” Rowena replied. She still couldn’t believe she was about to have a home and husband of her own.
A short time later, they were inside Jake’s cabin. He had enlarged it and added a bedroom and a private bathroom, saying he couldn’t expect a lady to bathe in the middle of the cabin floor. Rowena was grateful for his thoughtfulness and she couldn’t wait to move in and start adding some feminine touches to the manly space.
But Jake had something else he wanted to show her. He pointed proudly to the kitchen windows as Rowena gasped in delight.
“You made rods so I can hang drapes!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Jake, we’ll have such a pretty cabin!”
Jake smiled at her enthusiasm. “I figured that with the new mercantile that has opened in town, you can find some cloth to make them.”
Rowena clasped her hands together in delight. “Real drapes! Not just sacks to cover the windows when it’s cold. I feel as if we’re gettin’ real fancy out here.”
Jake laughed and snaked out a long arm to pull her against his side. “I’ve never seen a woman so excited over drapes.”
Rowena looked up at him. “It’s not just the drapes,” she said quietly. “It’s what they represent. To me, they mean home and somewhere to belong. A place of my own. That’s what’s so exciting. Hanging my very own drapes will make this feel like my home.”
“You know, I understand that,” Jake mused. “This cabin feels more complete already. It was always mine, but something was missing, and it’s only just occurred to me what it was.” He leaned down and dropped a kiss on her hair. “It’s you, my love. I can’t wait to share my humble abode with you.” His voice rumbled close to her ear. “And our babies, of course. They’ll be welcome too.”
Rowena felt a blush rising to her cheeks. “I want you to myself for a little while first,” she managed, even as a smile played on her lips. “But whenever the Lord sees fit to send them, they’ll be loved.”
Jake was in a reflective mood. “You know, when Poppy caused all that trouble, I couldn’t imagine ever being happy again. I knew I had to somehow escape her clutches, but I didn’t know how to go about it. But it sure taught me to value the people I love. I thought I was about to lose every one of them. I didn’t value them the way I should have before Poppy came along. Before that, if something didn’t work out, I’d just move on. But this taught me to fight for those I love.”
“I was sure heartbreak was going to follow me everywhere I went,” Rowena confessed. “I had to allow you to prove to me that you weren’t going anywhere after that. It took time, so thank you for being patient with me.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance to show you,” Jake said softly. “I was so afraid that I’d lost you forever.”
Rowena leaned her head against his shoulder as they stood in the middle of the cabin, her future home. “I’m so glad we got a happy ending,” she whispered, happiness filling her heart.
“So am I, Mrs. Almost-Brooks.”
Rowena laughed. “Mrs. Almost-Brooks. I like the sound of that.”
“So do I,” Jake rumbled above her head. “I’m looking forward to taking the Almost out of it.”
Rowena giggled. “You make me laugh, Jake Brooks. And next week, I’ll no longer have an Almost in my name.”
“I can’t wait,” Jake said, holding her close.
THE END