A Heart Renewed (35 page)

Having completed the examination, he said, “You seem to be doing well, Mrs. Colter.  I would like to see you again in a month or two, sooner if you experience any unusual symptoms.”

“Thank you, Dr. Armstrong.”

When he left to talk to Will, he closed the door.  Hannah could hear their muffled conversation as she dressed.

“I assure you, Mr. Colter, your wife is in excellent health and so is the baby.”

When Will started to object, the doctor’s voice softened.  Hannah hoped he was able to convince him to stop worrying so much.

Tucking a stray strand of hair back, Hannah joined the men in the parlor.  Will looked like he had been sufficiently chastised.  She smiled at him.  After he paid the doctor, he offered her his arm.

“I’m sorry for worrying,” he said once they left the doctor’s office.

“Everything will be just fine.  I don’t know how I know it, but I do.”

He turned and took her hands in his.  Looking down at her, Hannah saw the fear in his eyes.  “I just love you so much.  If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I would do.”

She wished she could promise him that nothing would happen, but she knew there were far too many women who died in childbirth for that promise to mean anything.  She knew he wanted to keep her from harm, but all of this was out of his control.  Likely that was what bothered him.  But this was not the place for such a discussion. 

Standing on her tip toes, she kissed her husband on the cheek, saying, “Let’s not borrow trouble.  Be grateful for what we have.”

Sighing, he turned and led her toward the hotel.

Adam was nervous as he entered the hotel.  Will and Hannah were stopping at the doctor’s office first, so he had some time to find Julia before they joined him. 

In the weeks since she moved to town, he thought about her often.  He missed their conversations.  He missed her smile, which he had seen little of since they left Texas.  But, he remembered it well.  Most of all, he just missed knowing she was nearby.

He wanted to give her something she would like and remind her of him. The last few nights he stayed up late into the night to finish his gift, making sure every detail was just right.  He hoped she would like it.

Mr. Hamilton stood behind the front desk of the lobby.  Adam wondered where Julia might be.  He thought he’d wait a few minutes to see if she would return, but the man spoke.

“May I help you?”

“Ah…” Adam stammered.  “Is Miss Colter around?”

Mr. Hamilton narrowed his eyes.  “And you are?”

“Adam Larson.  I am a good friend of hers,” he said.  Mr. Hamilton’s scrutiny made him nervous.  He hurried to explain, “I have known her since we were children on neighboring ranches in Texas.  I work on her brother’s ranch.”

Mr. Hamilton looked him up and down before responding.  “I see.  Miss Colter is off for the day.  Wait here and I’ll see if she is still here.”

Relieved to have passed the test, Adam took a seat in one of the chairs in the lobby.  He looked up when he heard the soft thud of feminine boots coming towards him.

“Adam!” Julia exclaimed as her lips stretched thin in a smile that lit the whole room.  “So good to see you.”

His heart leaped at the enthusiasm in her voice.  She seemed genuinely pleased to see him.  He returned the smile.

“I thought you might care to take a walk with an old friend.”

“Just let me get my coat.”  She turned and walked down the hallway.  Reaching just inside a room, she grabbed her coat and was at his side again.

Adam, taking the coat from her hands, helped her into it.  Her nearness sent his heart racing.  When she started buttoning the coat, he let his hand linger at the small of her back.  When she was ready, he reluctantly removed his hand and offered her his arm.

They walked across the street to the town square before he started the conversation.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked noticing the bite to the air and the heavy clouds in the sky.

“Oh yes.  How have you been, Adam?  How’s Percy coming along?  Oh, and Annabel?  Has she thrown you?  Have you taken her out to the herd yet?” He loved the way she would fire out so many questions when she was excited, as she was doing now.

“So many questions,” he smiled stealing a glance at her.  “Where should I start?”

“Tell me how you are.”

His heart flipped that she would truly want to know.  “Just fine.  A little tired.”

“Is Will working you too hard?” she teased.  Oh how he missed this vibrant version of Julia, though he had not realized it until now.  Something was definitely changing.  She was not as morose as she had been.  Perhaps the move had been what she needed after all.

“No.  I was working on a special project late into the night,” he baited.

“What sort of special project?”  She turned to face him as he stopped walking.

Pulling the gift from his jacket pocket, he handed it to her.  He was glad that Hannah gave him some brown paper and twine, which served the purpose of prolonging the surprise.

Julia took the gift from him.  “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

As she carefully untied the twine, he stared at her.  Her cheeks flushed with pink.  Her blue eyes glowed with life.  Her full lips twitched with a smile.  She looked so beautiful today, so alive.

If only he could tell her just how much he cared for her.

When Julia removed the paper, she gasped and her eyes went wide.  She looked up at him and he held his breath.  She looked back down at the horse and rider, carefully turning it over in her hands, running slender fingers along the horse’s mane.

“Oh, Adam, it’s beautiful!”

She jumped into his arms causing his pulse to race.  He circled his arms around her waist and kept them there even when she started to pull back, savoring the feel of her in his arms.  As Julia’s expression went from surprise to embarrassment, he released his hold.  Had they not been standing in the middle of the square, he might have kissed her.

He chuckled as he thought how surprised she might look then.

Reeling his thoughts back, he said, “You’re welcome, Julia.”

Julia was most embarrassed by her impulsive hug.  She only meant to thank Adam for the incredible gift.  She had not expected him to put his arms around her.  While she was surprised by his action, she enjoyed the feel of his embrace, the closeness.  And that frightened her.

Stepping back, she looked at the horse and rider carving in her hand.  She recognized both—the horse was the chestnut mare, and she was the rider.  How much time had he spent working on this?  The detail was amazing.

This was the most special gift she had ever received.  Her voice came out as a whisper.  “Thank you, Adam.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he said, his voice husky.

Those green eyes locked with hers again.  He looked at her differently, intently.  He searched her eyes, looking for something.  Her throat went dry.  What had Will said?  That Adam loved her.  Could it be true?

Pushing the thought aside, she turned back towards the hotel.  She had to move.  Adam fell into step beside her, saying nothing more. 

Just before they reached the hotel, she spotted Will and Hannah. 
They came to town on my birthday.
  She smiled and waved in greeting.

“Hannah,” Julia said giving her sister a warm hug.  Then turning to Will she did the same.  “Will, it’s so good to see you both.”

“We thought we would steal you away for part of the day,” Will said.

“Yes, Betty has something planned,” Hannah added.  “Perhaps we could head over there?”

Julia nodded agreement. “Let me put this inside.”  Scurrying to her room, she took one last look at the horse and rider before closing the door behind her.

“I’m ready,” she said meeting the three out front.

While they walked to Lancaster’s, Hannah asked, “How do you like your job?”

Julia explained what her duties were and what her living quarters were like.  She really liked the job and said as much.

When Will opened the door to the dining hall at Lancaster’s and motioned for her to enter, she stopped short at the full room.  At first she thought it was full of boarders, but as she looked around the room she saw more familiar faces: Reverend and Mrs. Page, Betty, Paul, Chef, Mr. Hamilton, Dr. Armstrong, and some others from the hotel and church.  She turned and looked at Will and Hannah with a questioning look.

“Hannah and Betty planned it.  Happy birthday little sis,” Will said before kissing her on the cheek.

Julia accepted the warm wishes from all her new friends and family, deeply touched that they would do this for her.  Adam led her to a seat at one of the tables, adding to her suspicion that he was in on this too.  Then he took a seat beside her.  Hannah and Will sat across from her.  As the rest of her friends took their seats, Liang and Yu began serving them dinner.

As she listened to the conversations around her, she remembered home and the parties her father used to have.  She missed him so.  Caroline would have been there, too.  As a tear slid down her cheek, Adam leaned over and brushed it away.

He whispered, “What’s wrong?”

She tried to smile but it felt a little forced.  “Just missing my father and Caroline.”

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, sending a tingling sensation up her arm.  She was again aware of his closeness as he sat next to her.  Glad when he let go of her hand, Julia relaxed.

Chef entered from the kitchen with a big frosted cake.  What a special treat!  “For you,” he said placing the first piece in front of her.

“How did you manage this?”

“Oh, don’t tell Mr. Barnard that I used so much sugar, Miss Colter,” he teased, giving her a wink.  She thought Mr. Barnard might not mind this once.

The cake and frosting melted on her tongue.  She closed her eyes and savored each bite.  It was positively delightful.  When she opened her eyes she caught Adam looking at her.  She smiled and he quickly looked away.  What was going on between them?

After everyone finished the cake, many of them wished Julia a happy birthday and returned to their day.  When she stood and retrieved her coat, Adam helped her put it on again.

“May I walk you home?” he asked.

When she nodded, he held out his arm for her.

“You seem… Different.”

You seem different, too.

“How so?”

“Hmm.  More like the Julia that I remember growing up.”

Intrigued, she asked, “In what way?”

A smiled tilted just one side of his mouth.  “Full of life, spirit, impulsive.”

Like earlier when I hugged you, I suppose.

“I see.”

“Happier,” he added.

They were just a step or two from the hotel doors.  Adam turned to face her.  Julia’s breath caught.  The way the sunlight filtered through the clouds, his golden hair looked almost as if it glowed.  His green eyes sparkled.  Her heart beat faster as he looked into her eyes.  Her stomach fluttered and she almost wondered if he was going to kiss her.

Finally, Adam broke the spell with a whisper.  “Happy birthday.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat.  “Thank you, Adam.”

He continued to stare at her, making no move to leave.  Taking her hand in his, he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, sending waves of warmth up her arm.  She tried to tell her feet to move, but they would not listen.  Just when she thought she might turn into a statute from his intense gaze, he squeezed her hand and took a step back.

“Take care, Julia.  I hope to see you again soon.”

“I would like that,” she answered.  Oh, how she missed him!

As he turned and unhitched his horse from a nearby post, Julia watched him go.  Something had most definitely changed between them.  And she thought she liked it.

Chapter 28

Colter Ranch

February 27, 1865

How many times had he led Percy around the corral now?  Adam lost count.  Maybe one more for good measure.  Deciding that a ride might suit his mindset better, he returned Percy to his stall and saddled Annabel.  Mounting the horse, he pointed her out towards the herd.  He would ride close to get her used to the cattle but not too close.