Adam's Bride (9 page)

“Be careful, Miss Lidia.”

Lidia looked toward the ground from her precarious position in the tree at Adam’s younger sisters, Ruby and Anna Johnson. Only two adorable nine-year-olds would compel her to temporarily disregard all attempts at being a proper lady to scale the rough trunk of a backyard tree. Well, that and a rabid dog, she supposed, but at the moment, thankfully, she felt perfectly safe from any such threats. Something she hadn’t felt for a long time.

It never ceased to amaze her how God worked in such marvelous and mysterious ways. Adam once saved her life from a rabid mutt, and now his parents were doing the same thing. Not that her life was in danger now, but she still felt as if they had saved it. Instead of leaving Koby and her on their own to find jobs after Mrs. Moore dismissed them, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had hired them to work on the Johnson farm.

Lidia untangled the rope, careful to keep her balance in the process as she teetered on the edge of the branch. She had no idea what Adam would think now that she was living on his parents’ farm. She’d seen his face the day she rode away from his cabin with his father barely two weeks ago. The hurt in Adam’s eyes had been clear, as though she’d betrayed him with the truth. He might have had feelings toward her at one time, but they had vanished with her confession.

She shook her head. Adam Johnson and his maple grove weren’t her problems anymore. She refused to pine after a man who couldn’t put the past behind him. She was dreadfully sorry for what her brother had done, but nothing she could ever say or do would change what had happened. The rest of the Johnson family, in giving her and her brother employment, had decided to move on with their lives. Something she could only hope and pray Adam would one day do, as well.

She gave the rope one more tug, and it broke loose. “All right, girls. I think it’s fixed.”

Dropping the rope, she watched the swing fall to its proper position. Pleased at her accomplishment and the giggles now emanating from the girls, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the patchwork of rich earth that spread out before her. With spring clearly on its way, the acres of farmland were beginning to wake from their winter sleep. Soon mayflowers, hydrangeas, and a vast array of flowers would bloom. The apple orchards would begin to bear fruit. Pastures with their stone fence borders were dotted with grazing cattle, and in the distance the banks of the Connecticut River rose from the water.

Taking in a deep breath, she relished the fresh scent of spring that hovered in the air like a bee ready to take nectar from a blossom. It had been a long time since she’d felt so free and happy, and she had no intention of losing this feeling.

Dust rose in a hazy cloud to the north. A horse and rider galloped across the dirt road toward the Johnsons’ house. Not wanting to be found in such an awkward position, Lidia began to make her descent. She felt a sudden tug at her waist. Reaching behind her back with one hand, she felt the material that had caught on one of the branches, but it was too taut for her to loosen it. She tried squirming free, but the fabric only pulled tighter. If she weren’t careful she would rip a hole in the dress. With only three dresses to her name, she certainly couldn’t afford ruining one of them.

“Hurry down, Miss Lidia. Adam’s coming.”

Lidia froze. Ruby and Anna jumped with excitement below her. For the first time all morning, Lidia regretted agreeing to watch the girls while their parents went into town. Surely she hadn’t heard them correctly. Adam was supposed to be on his farm finishing the sap harvest. Not here. Not now. The girls continued squealing with delight as they watched their older brother and his black stallion approach the back of the gray-shingled farmhouse.

Her jaw tensed as he drew closer. He looked so handsome wearing Levis and a tailored work shirt with his Stetson pulled low across his forehead to block the sun’s warming rays. He pulled on the reins as he approached the tree, then jumped off his horse, his eyes lighting up as his sisters enveloped him with their hugs, greeting him with more excitement than a fireworks display on the Fourth of July.

The wind ruffled his hair when he took his hat off, and she could see the shadow of stubble covering his jawline. This wasn’t the Adam who kissed her in the moonlight beneath a blanket of stars. That man had vanished, taking with him a piece of her heart. She fought against the sense of panic that swept over her, not knowing what he would think when he realized she was hovering above him. She’d known he would show up eventually, but she planned to be ready to see him at that point. Not perched in the top of a tree with her skirt caught on a branch.

She tugged on her dress again, but the material wouldn’t budge—and neither could she. Lidia closed her eyes. He hadn’t noticed her yet. Maybe if she couldn’t see him, he would disappear.

“Lidia?”

Facedown on the limb, she peeked through her lashes, her stomach feeling as if it were lodged in her throat. Adam shook his head, his eyes widening with surprise.

Oh Lord, how do I manage to get myself into such embarrassing situations? And just when I think I’ve finally got things in my life under control
.

“Adam. Hello.” Swallowing hard, she pulled on her dress again, but no matter what she did, it wouldn’t release its grip.

He folded his arms across his chest and looked up at her. “If I remember correctly, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you in this position.”

Lidia sighed. “It does seem that climbing trees has become somewhat of a habit for me, doesn’t it?”
And a rather unladylike habit at that!

“Are you coming down?”

She gnawed at her lip. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

Ruby jumped up on her brother’s back, her arms firmly around his neck. “I think she’s stuck.”

“She was fixing our swing for us,” Anna added, sitting on the wooden seat. “The Miller boys broke it.”

“Is it true?”

Lidia tried to slow her quickened breathing. “That the Miller boys broke the swing?”

“No, that you’re stuck.”

“I’m afraid so.” Lidia closed her mouth and tried not to let the irritation sweep over her. She could see the smirk that covered his face. “It’s not funny, Adam.”

“I’m sorry.” He held up his hands. “I’m not making fun of you, it’s just that …”

“That what?”

“Never mind.” His smile melted into a solemn look. “Do I need to climb up and help you?”

“I think it might be necessary since I can’t reach the spot where my skirt is caught without falling off the branch.”

“Did you know you can see all the way to the Connecticut River on a clear day from there?” Adam set Ruby on the ground then easily shimmied up the trunk of the tree. “My brothers and I used to spend hours up here.”

She tried to ignore the way the familiar sound of his voice pulled at her heart. Why did it have to be today, of all days, for Adam to decide to visit his family? She’d played out the moment in her mind a hundred times. He’d arrive at his parents’ farm surprised to see her, but one look into her eyes and he’d realize that he’d been wrong. Nothing would stand between them and their future together. She shook her head. What had happened to her resolve to forget the man who couldn’t forgive her? Daydreaming was going to get her nowhere except in trouble. At least where her heart was concerned.

Adam perched beside her on one of the branches and worked to unfasten the fabric. “I think this will fix things, and it’s not even torn.”

“Thank you.”

Finally free, Lidia sat up. His face was only a few inches from hers, and her heart beat ferociously at his nearness. She was afraid to look at him, though, knowing she’d never again see the look of interest in his eyes that she’d once seen. Instead, she’d see the pain and know that her brother was responsible for putting it there.

Avoiding his gaze, she studied the intricate pattern of the bark and waited to follow his descent down the tree. As soon as he was on the ground, he reached up to help her. His arms encircled her waist. She was sure he could hear her heart as she worked to steady herself once her feet hit the grass. Raising her face toward his, she forced herself to look him in the eye. For a moment she found what she was looking for. They were back under the winter stars in his maple grove, before everything had gone so wrong. The world around her disappeared until it was only the two of them.

“Lidia, I …”

Her pulse quickened. “What is it?”

He took a step away from her and shook his head. Whatever she’d seen in his eyes was gone. She could hear the girls playing again and feel the warm sun pressing against her face.

Anna sat in the swing while Ruby pushed from behind. Lidia tried to focus on the girls, but all she could see was Adam. In spite of what passed between them, she could feel the tension dissipate.

“The girls are happy. Why don’t we talk?” He motioned her toward the back porch, no doubt wanting to converse in private as to why she was still here at his father’s farm.

“All right.” She matched his long stride, trying not to notice the strength of his profile. Instead she sent up a prayer that God would help him understand what she was about to say.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” Adam stopped at the bottom step and leaned against the wooden railing. “I assumed because I didn’t hear from you that everything was fine at the mill.”

Lidia swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat.

“I don’t know what you’re going to think about this. …” Lidia fought to keep her composure. “When your father learned that my brother and I had lost our jobs at the mill, your parents decided to hire us both to help out on the farm.”

Adam raked his fingers through his hair, not sure he’d heard Lidia correctly. “You’re working for my parents?”

Lidia nodded. “The crop was so good last year that your father is planning to turn some of the pasture into additional fields, and with little Daria, your stepmother needed some extra help around the house—”

“My father never told me he was planning to expand his planting this spring or that he was hiring new workers.” He shook his head, working to keep the anger out of his voice. Had he been so caught up with his own projects that he’d failed to listen to his father’s plans? He was the eldest son. If his father needed help he should be the one filling in the gap. He would have found a way to make it work.

He kicked a pebble with the toe of his boot and watched the thin wisps of dust fill the air. When he’d first glanced up to see Lidia perched above him in the tree, he’d almost forgotten the last dark moments that had transpired between them. Instead the warmth of her kiss lingered in his memory, and with it the feelings he’d tried to forget.

But that wasn’t enough. He appreciated all that Lidia and her brother had done for him and admittedly owed them a lot, but how could his father consider hiring the siblings of the man who killed Samuel? He understood the need to forgive, but to go out of his way to give them jobs? It simply didn’t make sense to him.

“I was afraid you’d be upset when you found out.” Lidia’s voice broke into his thoughts.

Upset
didn’t begin to describe his feelings. “My father … where is he?”

“He went into town with your stepmother. They asked me to watch the girls while they were gone.”

He gripped the porch railing with his hand. “I don’t understand. You lost your job at the mill? Why didn’t you let me know? I would have gone and spoken to your overseer for you.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. They’d already replaced us and made it clear that what we had done wasn’t acceptable.”

“I’m sorry. I …” He wasn’t being fair to her, and he knew it. He should have stopped by the mill on his own accord.

She looked up at him with those big, brown eyes that were now rimmed with tears, and he cringed inside. When he’d watched her leave his farm with his father, he’d convinced himself that he could forget her. But now she stood before him even more beautiful than he remembered. Some of her hair had come undone from its braid, leaving auburn wisps of curls that framed her face. He didn’t want to feel this way toward her—this attraction. No matter what feelings she invoked inside him, nothing would change the fact of who she was.

“And the harvest?” Lidia asked.

Adam raised his brow at her question. “I finished yesterday. I wanted to stop by and talk to my father about the sugaring off celebration. I haven’t seen him since …”

“Since the day you found out my brother murdered Samuel.”

“I guess there’s nothing more for us to say then, is there?”

Lidia picked up the hem of her skirt and strode away from him, toward Ruby and Anna.

An hour later Adam felt his shoulder muscles burn as he swung the ax into the log behind the wooden shed on his father’s property. The weather was still a bit chilly, but he was drenched in sweat.

His father rounded the corner of the structure and stopped beside him. “We’ll have enough wood to last us until the turn of the century if you keep up this pace.”

Adam threw the log onto the pile before plunging the blade into another thick piece of pine. “I wanted to talk to you before I went home.”