Chapter Twenty-One
Maeve insisted she and Jed should remain sleeping in the same room.
If bandits were to attack again, it would be better for everyone to be in the same spot.
It made perfect sense to Jed, and having a pillow between him and his wife was far better than a squirming toddler.
Lila seemed to have a much easier time at night as well, falling asleep far quicker than before.
For now, her nighttime struggles seemed to be over with.
Even so, sleep wouldn’t come to Jed. He did his best not to toss and turn too much, acutely aware at all times that another adult was sharing the space with him.
Jed rolled toward Maeve, catching her face as she slept peacefully.
Her cheeks and nose were still a bit flushed from her earlier tears, but once she’d gotten back control, she’d agreed with Jed’s suggestion of a creating a new little family with an emphatic ‘yes’.
“That girl’s been ours from the start, ain’t she?”
Jed smiled softly at his wife’s words. A small part of both of them must have known, but had been too worried to say otherwise.
But now with all three sharing the same room in a more traditional family style, he was starting to settle into the role he’d agree to play.
A role that, since Maeve’s affirmation, felt more like a part of himself instead of a role he had to play like an actor.
Now he just needed to get to sleep and see where life would take him next.
***
The next morning’s atmosphere was noticeably different than those of the last few weeks he’d lived in Bighorn.
Jed had woken up with the other members of the house before, but something about Lila’s permanent position within their lives made it all the more enjoyable today.
Breakfast felt like a real family affair, with Maeve cooking in the kitchen while he kept their daughter entertained.
‘Our daughter…?’
That was going to take some getting used to.
Though he’d expected a day of chores, Jed was instead surprised by a sudden visit from Samuel. He stood on their front porch, a nervous smile spread tight across his face, while the distinct scent of aftershave wafted around him.
“Sam, you know today ain’t Sunday, right?” Jed asked.
Samuel blinked, inspecting his nicely fitted vest and button-up with a confused frown. “W-Well no, but– Did Maeve not tell you ‘bout she and Sadie’s plan yesterday?”
A dish clattered in the kitchen, and Maeve let out an embarrassed squeak. “Oh, gosh! I completely forgot!”
Jed glanced over his shoulder, shooting his wife a bemused look. “What’d you forget?”
“The circus! Me and Sadie passed them by yesterday. They were passing out fliers fer their grand opening.” Maeve gave the dropped plate a quick once-over, seemingly satisfied at the lack of cracks on it before setting it gingerly into the sink.
“We thought it’d be fun to take Lila to it as a way to celebrate her beginning to walk on her own.
And in my defense,” she added hastily, “you knocked the sense outta me with that surprise with the crib.”
Samuel’s face immediately lit up. “Did you like it? It fits Lila good, don’t it? Are any of the parts loose?”
“It fits her perfect,” Jed assured him, setting a grateful hand on Samuel’s shoulder. “You did a good job with it, Samuel.”
A proud blush tinged Samuel’s cheeks. “Well, I don’t think we would’ve finished it in just a week without yer fast hands.”
“You two can pat each other on the backs while we’re in the wagon!”
Jed watched his wife scurry about the house, having picked Lila up off the ground to scrub her face clean with her apron. “Sadie’s probably wondering what’s taking us so long. Jed, can you snag that lovely gingham frock off Lila’s shelf? And make sure to get a pinafore fer it!”
Jed couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “I take it you like the shelves, then?”
Maeve replied with a smirk of her own as she caught a stray bit of porridge at the corner of Lila’s lip.
The ride to town felt like it was far faster than any other time Jed had taken it.
He wasn’t sure if it was because of the good company he shared, or due to the thrill of seeing a circus.
His parents hadn’t had the time or funds to take him when he was young, and Thomas had always made them pass whatever town one stopped in, always mentioning something about conmen and competition.
But now, as their wagon rolled through town underneath large, colorful banners, and the jovial sound of drums and strings filled the air, Jed felt his excitement begin to bubble up.
They followed a line of wagons toward the center of town, with Maeve and Lila taking care of their hitching spot while Jed and Samuel led Ash to the communal barn.
As soon as they all met up once again, Jed couldn’t help but fully take in the sight of the current two most important women in his life.
Lila tried fiercely to free her hand from Maeve’s, her red gingham dress fluttering loosely in the breeze.
She’d gotten her tufts of hair pulled up and out of her face, tied back with a small bow personally done by Jed’s hands.
Even now, he thought it looked too messy, but Maeve had insisted it was perfect.
And on the topic of perfect…Maeve looked positively breathtaking.
Her hair had been done up in a bun dotted with wildflowers.
Some of her curls had been left free, spilling past her shoulders like freshly poured whiskey.
Her dress shaped her frame in a way her usual work clothes simply couldn’t, and the fabric was dyed the color of a duck’s egg: a perfectly pale blue that brought out the color of her eyes.
Walking beside Lila, Jed was immediately struck with the image of a rising sun climbing into the springtime sky. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
“Everything alright, Jed?”
He nodded a bit too eagerly, grasping Maeve’s free hand as the trio followed Samuel.
It was a short walk to the circus proper, which had been set up as a massive collection of red pinstriped tents hosting all kinds of games and activities.
The real shows wouldn’t start for another few minutes, giving everyone the chance to scan the excited crowds for Sadie.
“Hey, everyone!”
Sadie came bounding up to the group seemingly out of nowhere. She’d tied her hair back with several bright, emerald-green ribbons that matched her dress perfectly. For a moment, all Jed could think of was young boys in a mud puddle, and he did his best to hold back a snort of laughter.
“Ooh, is that one of the dresses I bought her, Maevey?” Sadie immediately bent down to scoop Lila up, only to squeal in surprise as the toddler pushed free and stood firmly on the ground.
“Sorry,” Maeve apologized as she took Lila’s hand once more. “She’s been awful eager to practice walking more.”
“Good for her! Has she taken to any of her new toddling toys?” Sadie asked with a mischievous smirk.
Maeve gave her a playful shove on the shoulder. “Just ‘cause I know you’d lose yer mind otherwise, yes, I was very, very surprised at all the work y’all did.”
Sadie squealed excitedly, grabbing Maeve and pulling her into a tight hug.
“I knew it, I knew it! It was entirely Jed’s idea, of course, but I’m just so thrilled that you like it!
” She pulled away, folding her arms behind her back as she rocked back on her heels with a pleased expression. “So? Is it official now?”
Jed nodded, gently stroking Lila’s hair as he spoke. “Yup. She’s an official Mercer now.”
“Ooh, that’s wonderful to hear!”
Sadie’s mouth hung open in surprise. It was obvious she’d meant to say something similar, but the voice who’d made the remark wasn’t her own.
Jed glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of Ms. Miller approaching their little group.
His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Edgar walking beside her, and he watched as the older man’s smile flickered briefly.
“Oh, Ms. Miller!” Maeve immediately stepped forward to greet the orphanage’s matron, leaving Jed and Edgar to frantically exchange silent looks with each other.
‘Should we let on that we know each other?’ Edgar seemed to say with a twitch of his brow.
Jed tried to shake his head as subtly as possible.
This definitely wasn’t the time to bring up his possible lawsuit.
It would lead to explaining his fallout with Thomas, his chosen brother’s criminal acts, and the possibility that he could be on his way to Bighorn Basin at this very moment to stir up more trouble.
No. Jed wanted to enjoy today as much as possible. It had become obvious, however, that tomorrow he’d have to explain himself to Maeve. He’d have to tell her everything. Today he’d been lucky to have only run into Edgar.
Tomorrow, it could be someone who wasn’t as kind or considerate.
“Well, I’d say Lila couldn’t be luckier, or have found a better match.”
Jed blinked, tuning back into the conversation as Ms. Miller gestured to Edgar.
“Oh, where are my manners! Everyone, this is Edgar Caldwell. He’s here from Cheyenne on behalf of Wyoming’s General Lands Office.”
Edgar nodded politely, exchanging greetings with everyone before meeting Jed’s gaze. He then offered his hand to Jed with nothing more than a pleasant smile.
Jed, likewise, offered him a smile and a handshake. No need to complicate things further with a lie about having never met.
“Ms. Miller and I happened to bump into each other at a lovely little tea stall farther down the way,” Edgar beamed.
“Why, I’d never heard someone so knowledgeable about international brews!
I had thought myself the only person in Wyoming who was even aware of green tea, but Ms. Miller proved me wrong almost immediately. ”
Ms. Miller waved a sheepish hand, a noticeable tinge of pink spreading across her face. “Well, I very much enjoyed hearing about your immense collection of foreign tea sets, Mr. Caldwell. The bone china sounded especially fascinating. I do hope you can show me it one day.”