A Headstrong Woman

chapter Twenty-three

Anxious to check on his fiancée and future in-laws, Ted urged his horse forward. Unless the tornado had changed course it had missed their place directly but having grown up on the plains Ted had seen plenty of people killed and injured who weren’t in the tornado’s direct path. He spotted the house in the distance and noted no major damage. His heart momentarily slowed and then sped up. He could see movement in the yard as he closed the gap and saw with relief that Anna and her mother were on the porch sweeping debris into the yard. Anna spotted him, dropped her broom, and ran to meet him as he jumped from his horse.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered as she hugged him fiercely.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he returned around a lump in his throat.

“Is everybody okay at the ranch?”

“One minor injury among the hands, otherwise everyone is fine,” he reassured her. Thunder sounded overhead and prompted them to move to the porch.

“Is everyone okay…?”

“They’re fine,” Ted cut Shirley off to set her mind at rest.

“Thank God!” Shirley breathed. “Michael and Carolyn left to check on her mother and father at the parsonage, did you pass them on the road?”

“No, they must already be there. I could see some minor damage to the church and parsonage, but nothing major,” he related.

“Come on in and rest, Ted, you look exhausted,” Anna invited. Ted smiled and prepared to follow her inside.

***

“Well young man you’re lucky it targeted your leg, if it had gotten you in the torso you would be dead right now.”

“God had to be looking out for me, Doc,” Sparky told the older man.

“You get some rest and let that leg heal, you hear me?”

“Will do, Doc.”

“Good.”

Jonathon escorted the man out of the bunk house and into the yard. “Dr. Carver, I know you’ll probably be very busy the next couple of days but when things slow down…”

“If I wait for things to slow down I might never get around to whatever favor you were about to request of me.” Dr. Carver cut Jonathon off.

“Alexandria may be expecting and we’d like to know for sure but it isn’t an emergency and I’m sure…”

“Where is she?” Dr. Carver again cut Jonathon off.

“Inside resting, the storm gave her quite a scare.”

“It gave a lot of people a scare and killed three that we’re aware of.”

“I didn’t know,” Jonathon said sadly. They entered the parlor to find Alexandria asleep and Jonathon gently shook her to wake her. She smiled at him before spotting Dr. Carver.

“Dr. Carver wants to go ahead and look at you while he’s here,” Jonathon informed her.

“Hello, Dr. Carver,” Alexandria greeted him.

“Hello, Alexandria; let’s go upstairs and see if you’re right, most women are, they know their bodies pretty well.” Dr. Carver waited for Alexandria to lead the way and allowed her a few minutes to change before joining her in the bedroom to examine her.



Alexandria watched Jonathon enter the room after the doctor had left. He lay down beside her where she had made herself comfortable on the bed.

“So what did he say?” he asked her.

“That we’re going to be parents in about seven to eight months give or take a few days or weeks,” she shared with a smile.

Jonathon kissed her and pulled her close. “Then I really need to find you some help around the house,” he commented.

Alexandria snuggled close and would have stayed there had they not heard a buggy rolling to a stop in the yard below. Alexandria sat up and Jonathon stood to offer her a hand off the bed. She accepted and after a quick check in the mirror to assure herself she was presentable, she followed her husband downstairs. She emerged to find Ali and Colton helping Kelsey and Kelvin from the buggy.

“We barely even sustained any damage at our place but thought you might could use some help,” Colton explained their presence there.

“I appreciate that, Colton; truth is I’ve barely had time to do more than make certain no one was seriously injured.

“I figured as much, come on, I’ll help as much as I can,” Colton offered before turning back to his wife. “Don’t overdo it and no heavy lifting.”

“Yes, sir,” Ali responded with amused patience.

“That goes for you too,” Jonathon added to Alexandria.

“Okay,” Alexandria assured him. Colton and Jonathon turned away and a moment later seemed to be patting each other on the back. Alexandria and Alana smiled at each other.

“I’m sure they’re real proud of themselves,” Alana commented with a shake of her head. Alexandria snorted in an attempt to hold back her laughter and failed. Jonathon and Colton glanced back at the women as they linked arms and ordered Kelsey and Kelvin to follow them inside.

“When are you due?” Alexandria asked her friend.

“Dr. Carver estimated about six or seven months at my visit yesterday. You?”

“Seven or eight,” Alexandria related.

“That’s wonderful! Our children will grow up together. When did you find out?”

“Dr. Carver confirmed it today.”

“You’ve had a big day.”

“Bigger than you know. I hate storms,” Alexandria shuddered.

“Where’s Lilly?” Kelsey asked expectantly. She was older than Lilly but seemed to welcome the opportunity for a female playmate.

“She’s napping in the parlor but you have my permission to wake her,” Alexandria offered. Kelsey happily skipped down the hallway. Kelvin sighed and hesitated.

“Go on, playing with two girls isn’t going to kill you,” Ali instructed her son. Kelvin moved toward the parlor, his shoulders sagging. Alexandria chuckled. Her brother had often lamented at playing with his three sisters and had begged for a brother. The only other boys her mother had borne had not lived past a year in age.

“My brother was the same way, there were three of us girls; my older sister lives in California. I haven’t seen her or heard from her in a while.”

“I was an only child,” Ali shared.

“Things are pretty much seen to in here; would you care for some tea?”

“That sounds wonderful. Our hired help has finally arrived and Colton hired some men and I look forward to being able share cups of teas with my new friends instead of working constantly.”

“My housekeeper is leaving,” Alexandria shared as she prepared tea and set out a plate of cookies. “We’ll invite the children after they’ve had time to play,” Alexandria suggested.

“Good idea,” Ali agreed. “If you’re looking for help I could make some recommendations.”

“Really?” Alexandria asked with interest.

“Daniel Graves, the man Colton hired to be his foreman, his wife Kari, and their two children relocated here from Kentucky. Daniel’s brother, his wife and daughter hope to follow. Daniel and his brother and their spouses were slaves as children, if that bothers you…”

“Not at all, I would be thrilled to get their addresses from you, I know Jonathon could use help too and with Lilly and now another on the way…”

“You need the help; I know. I’ve often wondered how women less fortunate than us manage.”

“I’m sure we could if we had to,” Alexandria said confidently.

Alana smiled. “I like your spunk, Alexandria.”

“Thank you, Ali.”

“How are you and Jonathon?” Alana asked as Alexandria poured their cups of tea.

“We’re doing well; I was upset with him earlier but I got over it. Tell me, Ali…how did you know you were in love with Colton?” Alexandria asked pointedly.

Alana studied Alexandria. “You’re afraid.”

Alexandria blinked against tears. She knew Ali was only a few years older than her but her eyes belied her age. Alexandria now wondered if experience and wisdom were the reason behind this.

“Yes, truthfully I am; my first husband was interested only in my mothering and housekeeping abilities,” Alexandria answered honestly. “My marriage to him was miserable and,” Alexandria paused considering her next words, “I came to my marriage to Jonathon still innocent.”

Alana nodded her understanding and honestly wasn’t surprised. Despite being a married woman with a child on the way Alexandria exuded and innocence that came from having known only one man. Alana was thrilled for her; she wished she had been allowed that opportunity herself.

“Lexie, may I call you Lexie?” Ali requested.

“Please,” Alexandria nodded.

“Lexie, fear only holds us back from life. Whether it’s the fear of loving and not being loved in return, fear for our children…it’s like a debilitating disease that eats at our peace. I know because I lived bound, gagged, and bondage to fear for years.

“Perhaps I’ll share my whole story with you sometime but for now let me say this. I had been hurt, physically, emotionally, and mentally. When I found myself running for what I was certain was my life I swore I would never get close to another person again. I really intended to stand by that.”

“Jonathon admitted that he loves me this morning and has for some time and I got a glimpse of what it would mean to lose him when the tornado came through…I’ve never been in love, Ali; I know I love him as a friend but I don’t know if I’m in love with him.”

“You asked how I knew I was in love with Colton, I don’t know if there’s an easy answer to that but I can tell you that he alone was able to reach in past the wall of defense I had built for myself. After the things I had been through I didn’t think I could ever love a man or feel desire for an intimate relationship but Colton made me feel those things and then some. At times I almost felt that he could see me better than I could as though he could see my fears, my thoughts,” Alana trailed off as she reflected and Alexandria felt a jolt of recognition run through her. Though her situation and Ali’s had been different, she knew, she could relate to so much of what the other woman was saying. There was certainly no denying that Jonathon affected her in ways no other man had.

“Mommy, can we have some milk and cookies?” Lilly asked from the door to the kitchen. Alexandria smiled as she stood to fix the kids milk.

“Come on in,” Alexandria invited. “Thank you, Ali,” Alexandria added.

“Glad I could help,” Ali smiled at her friend.

***

Jonathon held Alexandria as she fidgeted in her sleep. He was aware that she’d had trouble getting to sleep and even now she didn’t seem to be resting. She whimpered and Jonathon pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

“No,” Alexandria whimpered.

“It’s okay, Alexandria,” Jonathon whispered in her ear.

“Jonathon!” she cried out.

“I’m right here,” he tried reassuring her.

“No,” she repeated as she began sobbing.

“It’s just a bad dream,” Jonathon wished she would wake up.

“Please don’t go,” she pleaded.

“Alexandria, I’m not going anywhere,” he assured her.

“Please don’t go, Jonathon, I love you,” she sobbed. Jonathon crushed Alexandria to him. He knew she wasn’t aware of what she’d said, not on a conscious level but his heart lifted at her words. Jonathon kissed her forehead, her cheek, and then her lips. He found Alexandria blinking at him when he pulled back.

“You were having a nightmare,” he informed.

“You were leaving,” she told him with a shudder.

“Listen to me, Alexandria, I love you and I’m not going anywhere,” he informed her before he kissed her. Alexandria clung to him as she kissed him back.

***

Alexandria woke to the sun pouring through the window and an empty bed. She frowned as she sat up before spotting a note on the bedside table. It was folded in half with her name scrawled across it in Jonathon’s familiar writing. She smiled as she unfolded the paper.

Alexandria,

I thought you could use the rest after last night and let you sleep in. Don’t worry about Lilly; she’s being my little helper. Relax for a while. Love you

Jonathon

P.S. I’m not going anywhere!

Later that day, Alexandria stood still while her mother measured her for the dress she would wear in her sister’s wedding. She had not yet shared her pregnancy with her family and decided now was the perfect time to do so.

“Mom, you might want to leave a couple of extra inches,” she cautioned.

“Nonsense, you’re so thin it would show.”

“But I might need them,” she argued, her amused gaze meeting her sister’s wide one.

“You? You haven’t put on weight since you were in school,” Shirley countered as she tucked and pinned. Demanding her mother’s attention, Alexandria lowered her arms.

“Alexandria put your arms back up!”

“I think that’s about to change,” she said pointedly and watched her mom frown before Alexandria’s words and their meaning sank in.

Her mom gasped and grabbed her in a hug that nearly toppled Alexandria from the small platform she was standing on and jabbed both of them with the pins in the material.

“Oh, Alexandria, how wonderful!” Shirley said around tears. Anna stepped forward to hug her sister more gingerly and to congratulate her.

“When?” Anna asked.

“Sometime in April.”

“You’re not likely to need the extra space in the next month but I will wait until the last moment to cinch the waist,” Shirley informed her daughter.

“I know, Mom, but I was trying to share my news with you,” Alexandria grinned.

“You should have known I would be distracted,” Shirley laughed. The tornado had set many of the families in the community back financially, Alexandria’s family included and Shirley had decided to see to the brides’ maid dresses herself and hire Mrs. Louis for Anna’s gown only.

“I imagine that Jonathon is thrilled,” Anna commented.

“He is; he’s also worried because Millie is leaving us but Ali and Colton may have offered a solution to that problem.”

“How’s that?” Shirley inquired as she returned to pinning Alexandria’s dress.

“The couple they hired knows of several other families looking to hire and move west, their foreman’s brother’s family included.”

“I hope that it works out for you then,” Shirley said around the pins in her mouth.

“Sorry I’m late,” Carolyn, said as she slipped into the room and smoothed her brown hair. “Michael was late coming in for lunch and set my whole afternoon back,” Carolyn shared.

“No, problem; I’m almost through with Alexandria if you want to go ahead slip your dress off then we can get you fitted.

“Okay,” Carolyn agreed as she asked Anna to help her unfasten the back of her gown.

“There, now carefully pull it off,” Shirley instructed Alexandria. Alexandria and her mother removed her dress and Anna helped Alexandria back into her dress.

“Shirley, I uh, well I…” Carolyn was sputtering; her cheeks were pink, making her brown eyes stand out. “About my dress, that is….”

“Do you need a little extra room?” Alexandria asked on a repressed chuckle.

“That might be a good idea,” Carolyn agreed.

Shirley stepped back and surveyed her daughter-in-law. “Are you expecting too

“Too?” Carolyn looked perplexed, especially when Alexandria and Anna began laughing.

“You are! Oh, Carolyn, when are you due?”

“Late April.”

“Your and Alexandria’s baby will be born pretty close,” Shirley mused as she hugged Carolyn. Carolyn’s gaze settled on her sister-in-law as her eyes lit. Alexandria hugged the petite woman and congratulated her.

“I’m so glad we get to go through this together,” Carolyn said around tears.

“Come on, let’s get you fitted,” Shirley returned to business. Several minutes later the ladies emerged from Shirley’s sewing room dressed and chattering excitedly. They entered the kitchen to find their husbands and one husband to be having coffee at the Cannon’s ample kitchen table.

“So I’m to be a grandpa twice over again huh?” Clay asked the ladies with a wide smile. “At least I’ll get to see these two,” he said almost sadly as he thought of the grandchildren he had never seen in California.

“As often as you want,” Alexandria promised her father with a kiss on his cheek.

“Have you told your mother your plan?” Clay asked his youngest.

“My plan?” Anna frowned.

“The last your mother knew you were heading west next spring.”

“What? You’re not leaving?” Carolyn’s eyes filled with happy tears.

Anna squirmed with guilt. She had meant to share with her mom but her thoughts had been so consumed with her upcoming wedding that she had forgotten.

“Jonathon has asked Ted to partner with him on the ranch, we’ll be converting to a horse ranch soon,” Anna shared.

“Oh thank God!” Shirley all but shouted. “What a wonderful day, here everyone sit down. I have a cake in the cupboard and I think now’s a perfect time for it,” Shirley ordered.

Alexandria moved to sit in the chair beside her husband and let out a yelp when a gentle tug brought her into her husband’s lap instead.

“Jonathon!” Alexandria protested as she quickly resituated herself on her own chair. The other’s looked amused as Alexandria tried to hide her pink cheeks.

“Daddy likes to do that and he kisses Mommy a lot too,” Lilly shared. Laughter erupted around the table as Alexandria hid her face behind a hand. Jonathon wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close for a hug and a kiss on top of her head. Alexandria laid her head against Jonathon’s shoulder as his chuckle reverberated through his chest. She loved this man, she realized. Of all the times to realize it, she mused. Not when they were alone and she could have shared her love for her husband, but in the middle of her parent’s kitchen with others laughing at their expense.

“Thank goodness there’s no one to tell off on me,” Michael’s eyes were twinkling as his wife turned pink.

“That’ll change in a few months,” Clay reminded his son and watched his son blush as more laughter erupted around the table. Jonathon released Alexandria and she shuddered slightly; she missed the warmth of his arms. She found that she suddenly wanted to go home.

“I hate to be in a hurry but I am suddenly very tired,” Alexandria stood abruptly. Jonathon looked puzzled but stood to take his wife home. Lilly slid from her perch in her grandfather’s lap and joined her parents.

“Go home and get some rest,” Shirley advised as she hugged Alexandria.

“Thanks, Mom, I will,” she responded before hugging the others. Jonathon waited for Alexandria to explain their hasty exit once they were seated in the buggy but she said nothing the entire trip home. Once they were inside Lilly scampered into the kitchen to ask Millie if she could help with dinner and Alexandria moved upstairs to their room. Jonathon trailed her determined to find out why she had wanted to leave so abruptly.

“Are you okay, Alexandria?” Jonathon asked after he had closed the door behind them. Alexandria, still not speaking, turned to him. Jonathon moved to stand in front of her and caressed her cheek.

“Jonathon, I realized something sitting there in the middle of my family, something I wanted to say but that needed to be said in private,” she shared.

“This is as private as it gets, what do you need to say, Alexandria?”

“I love you, I think I must have for a while only I was too busy being scared to realize it,” she shared and watched his eyes darken.

“I love you too, Alexandria, and I’m glad you let go of your fear, I never want to hurt you,” he said before he kissed her.

“I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt me, Jonathon, that’s what’s so silly about it, you’re so good to me.”

“I like being good to you, I want to be good to you for the rest of our lives, Alexandria.”

“I like that idea,” Alexandria admitted around tears. Jonathon kissed her again and pulled her closer. A moment later Alexandria pulled away and laughed. “Jonathon, Millie will be waiting for us.”

“So, that’s the nice thing about being boss,” he grinned as he pulled her back to him.

“Jonathon!” she protested when he began kissing her neck. The trouble was she was putty in his hands and she knew it, had known it even before she had realized she loved him.

***

Alexandria laughed as she laid her arm around Ali’s shoulders; she was still unable to believe that their husband’s had talked them into this. She and Ali were both decked out in their pants, hats, and gun belts; a photographer set up across from them.

“How did we get talked into this?” Alexandria demanded.

“I wish I knew,” Ali laughed. “I think we should put on our toughest pose, what do you think?” Ali smiled at her new friend.

“Definitely,” Alexandria agreed. The two ladies rested their right hands on their guns and hooked their left thumbs in their pockets; their heads were held high.

“Ready?” The photographer asked. Once the ladies were settled he started the process of taking their pictures and the waiting started.

“You two look ready for a shootout,” Colton teased them.

“No, Alexandria looks like she’s just been told she can’t do something she has it in her head to do,” Jonathon corrected.

Alexandria struggled to maintain her composure and promised herself that she would get even with her husband later. Over an hour later a series of pictures had been taken of Alexandria and Jonathon, Ali and Colton, and the soon to be married Anna and Ted. They had swapped up taking sibling pictures and individual pictures and family pictures and had agreed it was worth the cost to capture their memories. The photographer promised their finished products in a few days and began repacking his wagon. Alexandria, who had changed into her green dress from the picnic for some of the photos, placed a hand to her waist.

“I may not be showing yet but my clothes are getting tighter,” she confided to Ali and Anna.

“Mine too,” Ali admitted. “I wasn’t sure I could get into my pants; how did you manage denims?”

“They were a little snug.”

“I’m so jealous, I wish I had married sooner and could be sharing in the fun,” Anna commented.

“It won’t be long now before you marry and I’m sure you’ll have a family of your own soon,” Ali assured the younger woman.

“Yes, but you and Alexandria and Carolyn are all getting to go through it together; I’ll be all alone,” she sighed.

“Maybe not, you never can tell, Anna. I’ve got to go change into a dress that requires a little less corset,” Alexandria commented.

“How’s the house coming?” Ali asked Anna as Alexandria slipped inside the house.

“Slow,” Anna admitted with a sigh. “We’re fixing up the soddy while it’s finished.”

“At least you’ll have your own space while you wait,” Ali pointed out.

“I know; I can’t wait,” Anna’s eyes were shining.

“I think it so neat that you and Alexandria are going to end up married to brothers.”

“I was determined not to like Ted,” Anna admitted as she laughed at herself. “I had made a fool of myself with Jonathon, if only I had known Ted was to follow,” Anna mused to herself.

“Dinn-ah’s ready,” Esther called from the porch, her ample frame filling the doorway. Anna liked her sister’s new housekeeper and cook and the lady’s husband as well. They were kind people and Esther had already figured out how to handle the strong willed Alexandria to see to it she didn’t over do in her present condition.