Blessings of Love (The Belles of Wyoming Book 7) Read online

  “I know,” she said aloud quietly in an attempt to reassure herself and her unborn child. Her mother had always told her that children could sense when their mother was happy, sad, or upset. This was proving to be true.

  “We are home now.” Carrie got ready to disembark from the coach, but Mr. Bryant stopped her from exiting with a knowing smile. Her new life with her husband was within reach and she could see his smiling expression in her mind’s eye.

  “Mrs. Madison – I can take you out to your home if you know the whereabouts so you don’t need to worry about lugging that big trunk around. You need to take care of yourself and the babe. I’m sure something is just holding up Alex or he’d be here.”

  “I didn’t tell him so I wasn’t really expecting him… but thank you for the kind offer.” She was truly touched that this man would be so kind to her. She had wondered herself how she would lug it about and was fully prepared to pay for someone to haul it in a wagon for her. The fact that she could sit on the bench a few moments longer was simply a bonus, giving her time to straighten her hair until she saw her husband.

  “You’ll have a lot of friends in these here parts – your husband is a fine fellow. A bit cold and blunt, but a true man of honor. I don’t think he’d cotton to me letting his pregnant wife drag a trunk behind her in the streets.”

  Cold? Blunt? Carrie thought, confused. That didn’t sound like Alex at all. He was always friendly with everyone, and his pa used to claim that he could befriend even the meanest of men during a fight. That was the thing that attracted her at the very beginning- his smile and warm eyes.

  “That would be wonderful,” she began, “if you don’t mind? The property is out near the river just outside of town. I was told by my father that there is a road to follow that heads due west. There is supposed to be a larger marker near the road and that I ‘couldn’t miss it’ – those were his words.”

  “Well, by that description and the fact you are claiming to be Alex Madison’s wife… I’d say it’s a pretty apt one. I’ll take you out there for sure then, ‘cause it’s about two miles out to your land.”

  Carrie was stunned to see the slight rolling hills suddenly surge up into what could be called small mountains. The hills were breathtaking in the distance, snowcapped and majestic. The trees were beginning to bud or still evergreen through the winter time – a signal that spring would soon be upon them. There was a massive husk of a pine tree along the dirt road with a compass carved into it. Her father had loved to sail and this was the signal he’d hinted at for certain. He had compasses and maps all over his library. It was here, in this new land, that she would have her child. She would have a chance to grow and rekindle the budding relationship with her new husband.

  A husband that obviously wasn’t home.

  Staring in dismay, Carrie saw that there was a partially built frame of a home nearby that had one large room completed and the beginnings of a few others. The trusses on the rooftop were still open to the canopy above. She didn’t understand what was taking so long to build their house and was relieved to have made the journey. At this rate, it would have been well after her delivery before it was safe to travel across the plains.

  An earthen dugout wasn’t far away and it was obvious this was where Alex was living until the house was finished. It looked almost like a great bubble of dirt had welled up from the land and was shored up to stay aloft. She would not let anything sway her. There had to be an excellent explanation for everything and she was an apt listener. Putting on a bright smile, she accepted Mr. Bryant’s help from the coach – tamping down the trepidation she felt.

  This was a strange home in an even stranger land. Her husband wasn’t here to welcome her nor did it feel like a dream homecoming in the slightest. Everything seemed to be keenly off-kilter at its very core and didn’t sit right in her soul. Maybe when she saw Alex, it would all snap into place properly.

  The dugout had a sod roof and small wooden door. It looked like he’d put some real work into making it habitable, since he’d taken the time to put a glass window just to the left of the door ,allowing light inside. She was glad of it because the idea of descending into the ground instantly brought about the likeness of a grave, giving her goosebumps that made her shiver bodily.

  “It’s still a bit cool out, Mrs. Madison. Why don’t you step on inside and start a fire? I’ll get the trunk for you and put it where you want,” Jeremy offered politely. If she wasn’t so exhausted and concerned about having money, she might have asked to head back to town for a room for the night. It wasn’t her parents’ home back in Pennsylvania – but it was their home together for the time being.

  “Thank you, Mr. Bryant. It’s appreciated.”

  Carrie opened the wooden door and ducked inside- praying that there were no snakes or spiders active in the area. That was one thing she couldn’t stand, and living in a dugout could expose her to both if they were prevalent here in the Wyoming territory. Searching the dim interior, she found an oil lamp and quickly lit it. The dug-out was functional with a bed, a chair, a small table and a stone hearth that had a small stack to it, peeking right out of the ground. A small throw covered part of the earthen ground that had been tamped down flat. It was quaint, and it looked like it was just enough to function as a home. It would have to do until they could finish the bigger house. Perhaps she could find a way to help him – giving them time to reconnect and a chance to prove how good of a wife she could be.

  As Jeremy struggled to bring in the large case that held her things – she idly pointed at the narrow corner of the room near the tiny bed. The bed looked like it would hold one person easily and two people in a very cramped way. Instantly, she blushed as she realized that she would not be sleeping alone anymore once Alex came home tonight. Her hands cradled her stomach as she felt her corset pinching her side. The moment the coach driver left, she was going to remove her corset or at least loosen it so she could breathe. Grabbing a log that was near the small hearth, she knelt to start a fire. That would take the chill out of the room, especially if she was going to make herself comfortable.

  “Welcome to Belle, Mrs. Madison,” Jeremy said politely, tipping his hat. “See you about town or at services on Sunday.”

  “Absolutely – and thank you again.” Carried pressed several coins in his hand as payment and appreciation for the help. His kindness would not go unmentioned to Alex… especially when he wasn’t there to aide her. The small door on the dugout closed and she heard the coach pull away onto the road.

  The silence around her was deafening. She was alone in the middle of nowhere. In the lamplight, she saw a rifle underneath the bed and sighed. At least she had some sort of protection in case someone other than Alex arrived. Her father’s gun that he’d given her hadn’t been fired in years and she wasn’t certain it would function. Putting a board in two u-shaped hooks that skirted the door – she felt slightly safe.

  Inspecting the house, her heart beat a steady rhythm that lulled her anxiety away. This would all be okay as long as she put herself in God’s hands. She had crossed the country and had been delivered safely to her new home. Things would be alright – things would be good. Lying down on the bed, she pulled a quilt over her and closed her eyes. Life would have a way of working out as long as she kept looking forward towards what was coming – her new life with Alex and her baby.

  3

  Carrie didn’t awaken until early morning when the sunlight began to stream into the single glass window. She had been exhausted from her travels and the emotional strain it put on her. She felt like she was putting everything she had into starting her new life with the man she’d admired for years from a distance… and now he was nowhere to be seen. She was still alone, undisturbed.

  Alex had not returned last night.

  Washing her face, she left her corset off and embraced the fact that her body was growing and changing with their child. Things would simply be different and it was okay for it to feel strange inside. Sh
rugging off the dress she’d slept in, she donned a simple calico dress and hiked the waistline a bit higher to accommodate her growing stomach that was freed from the corset. They were the fashion and the style – but she preferred breathing so much better, and being free of the wretched thing enabled her to take deep breaths.

  Peeking out the window, she saw the fog clinging desperately to the ground to keep from dissipating in the early morning sun. It would be gone soon enough to see the mountains again in the distance. Grabbing her thick shawl, she threw it around her shoulders and headed out the door. She would need to get something to eat and was curious where Alex was at.

  Inspecting the house under construction, she smiled happily as she saw that he’d put the pump for water directly in the kitchen. She remembered telling him one night that she’d always wanted a modern kitchen, complete with one of those cast iron stoves like she’d seen in catalogues. Her mother had gotten one about five years ago and it had made such a difference. It was a luxury and also a necessity.

  Alex had already built a large stone fireplace along a wall and that would keep it cozy in the wintertime. She also saw that he intended to put two bedrooms just off the main room. A small pantry was built, and opening the door she saw a window on the far side of the wall. It would make the room cozy once the roof was installed. He’d built a large decking on the front of the house as you stepped up to it, and hoped it would be a covered porch someday. It was the little touches that made her smile as she walked through.

  Grinning, Carrie tucked her shawl across her body and directly into her apron she’d tied around her loosely. It was decided that she would head into town to see if she could find Alex instead of remaining here. She was anxious about their reunion and there was no better way to shrug it off than to face it head on – and she wasn’t afraid of a little challenge like a long walk. It would give her time to think and time to gather her composure so she looked like the woman she was… not the fawning, lovestruck girl he’d married those months ago.

  As she entered town, Carrie saw several people looking her way. At first, she thought it was because she’d left her corset off – but as she watched them, she saw them shaking their heads and looking away from her… in dismay and sadness! Why? Because she was obviously pregnant and just arrived into town? Heading right up to the general store – she smiled sweetly at the man behind the counter.

  “Good morning, sir,” she began, and heard whispering behind her. “I am curious to see if Alex Madison has been in as of late? I’m his wife. I arrived into town yester…”

  “Mrs. Madison, it’s nice to meet you and welcome to Belle,” he said quickly, cutting her off and indicating that she should lean closer. Carrie did so and felt her stomach roll, instantly putting her hand to her abdomen in an effort to calm her nerves and the baby’s. “Alex is the carpenter in town. He’s just down the road to your left – and if he isn’t there… he might be at the bar.”

  “The bar?” she whispered in confusion. Had he become a drinker like his brother George? That would be something they would have to discuss right away because alcohol never solved anything. Talking, praying, and working together could remedy any problems he was trying to wash away.

  “Alex never said he was married, Mrs. Madison. In fact, he has a few ladies chasing him about town – including that young lady in the corner in the blue dress.”

  Carrie felt all of her emotions rush to the forefront at once. Her fears of being alone, anxiety of her traveling so far to an unknown land, becoming the wife Alex needs or wants, and whether she would be a good mother to her child… all these feelings surged forward and snapped her back ram-rod straight. Smoothing her gown, she curled her hands together and smiled tightly at the pitying expression on the clerk’s face.

  “The blue dress, you say?” she asked tightly.

  “It’s not worth it,” he advised. “Go find your husband first.”

  “Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate you telling me what others could not apparently. It’s shocking when a woman pursues a married man,” Carrie said casually, her voice carrying in the small room. “Maybe morals are a bit looser in these parts? Who knows?”

  “Who indeed,” the clerk said politely, as his eyes danced in merriment. Carrie nodded and stepped out into the sunlight. She didn’t even take a moment to look at the women who were whispering in the general store but rather – she was on a mission. Not only did she want to find Alex… she wanted to know what was going on!

  Alex Madison was exhausted.

  He’d been up all-night working on a secret project in the back room of his shop. He’d gone to the bar and indulged in a few shots of whiskey, but there was something in the air that didn’t feel right. To calm his nerves, he always seemed to turn to woodworking. It was something that he felt like he’d done all his life. The knowledge came from deep down inside… but he wasn’t sure of it. There were clues that didn’t add up, things he couldn’t put his finger on – but when he went with his gut instincts… he felt better.

  Complete.

  That was the only sense of peace he seemed to find anymore nowadays since the accident. He remembered it painfully and with complete clarity as it had only been three months since it happened. He’d awoken in a field, staring up at the bright blue sky, and watched the clouds roll by, confused. He had tried to sit up a few times but the pressure in his head was debilitating. A saw was lying on the ground nearby- as well as an axe that had blood on it. A tree nearby on the ground gave him the chance to put two-and-two together. He’d been taking down a tree and fell.

  Nothing was broken that he could tell, but his head had been injured… on the nearby axe. He was lucky he wasn’t dead or horribly disfigured. When he’d managed to crawl to a dugout nearby, he’d yelled for help with no answer. He found a tin plate and saw the gash on the side of his head where he’d cut himself. It would leave a nasty scar, but if it had been a half inch closer- he might well have died. The scar healed but the impact with the ground, the tree, or the axe… something had taken his memory.

  Alex knew his name – and that was it.

  He’d awoken with tools nearby, saw the framing of a house nearby, and assumed this was his land- especially when no one returned or answered his shouts. He was Alex Madison and that was the only thing he’d remembered. He had no idea who he truly was, where he came from, or what he wanted to do.

  Several days after the accident, he’d wandered and searched for answers… completely turning the dugout upside down looking for clues. There was nothing. A small leather booklet of notes made in a handwriting he didn’t recognize, a bible that looked to have been a gift since there were no names as of yet in the back… and a pocket watch with a lock of hair tucked inside.

  Nothing to tell him who he was – just trinkets with no meaning.

  When Alex had first lost his memory, he’d truly struggled with the loss. He’d been robbed of a history- of his life. Everything felt alien to him. When he ate, he would get flashes of something that reminded him that he shouldn’t like the taste of a certain food – but as quick as the memory touched him? It was gone.

  That is how his life had been the last few months. Everything he felt he should know – it had all disappeared, bringing about a fresh sense of loss. That is how he got into woodworking and carpentry. He knew deep down inside he was supposed to build something – and that need drove him, making him feel like he was doing something right.

  The house that was being framed was his – and he knew this now.

  His secret project was a labor of love that came from deep inside, and that is what hurt him the most. He didn’t understand the why of it, only that he needed to build these things. He’d struggled not knowing where he came from or where his next meal was – so he took what he knew and applied it.

  Alex opened his own carpentry and woodworking shop in town. It was by sheer accident too. He’d been looking around town, trying desperately to remember something- anything- from before, when
he saw a bench give way in front of the mercantile. He’d offered to repair it in exchange for a meal. He’d done so and that led to another repair that was needed… and then another. Now, the build on his house was taking forever, but he could afford to pay for the supplies he would need to finish it.

  Today he was working on something special that touched him. He couldn’t understand why it was so important to him and wondered if it was a childhood memory that was dormant. He was carving intricate details in the wooden frame and knew someday that this would be passed down to generations if he built it sturdy enough. Glancing up out of the window, he saw a woman walking towards the open doorway of his workshop and almost smiled.

  Some guy was a truly lucky fellow.

  The woman was like something out of a fairytale. She had elegant, classical features that almost seemed too large for her face, yet it fit perfectly. Wide dark brown eyes stood out against her pink cheeks. Her hair lay around her shoulders in waves like she’d slept in a braid. Not only was she gorgeous – she had an ungainly gait about her that accentuated her growing stomach. Not only was she married- she was expecting. Alex felt a pang of jealously and desire for a moment and quickly pushed it away. As she walked up to the doorway and stood there looking at him, he finally broke the silence.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Seeing Alex standing there was like a blow to the soul. He looked the same, a bit weathered over the last few months, but good. Her heart beat quickly as she realized the reunion she’d dreamt of was finally here!

  They would be together.

  They’d be a family.

  Then he spoke… and Carrie realized there was no recognition at all in his expression. This was her nightmare. The blank callous look had haunted her and now she was seeing it in the flesh. Dumbfounded, she stood there waiting. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together what was wrong between them. She’d crossed miles and miles to be here – yet he didn’t look happy about it. Truthfully, he didn’t show any expression other than politeness towards a stranger.