Twice Blessed (19 page)

“That's Martha,” Belinda said and took another bite of the cookie.

“Who?”

Belinda pointed at the photograph. “That's Martha.”

“I thought it was a picture of your mother.”

“It's Martha.”

“Who is Martha?” She should not be asking these questions, but her curiosity had been piqued. She had assumed that the photograph was of Noah's late wife, which was why it held this place of honor.

“Martha was Mr. Sawyer's sister,” Gladys said, shooing Belinda out of the house. “She died a while back.”

“I didn't mean to snoop.”

Gladys laughed. “Of course you did. Mr. Sawyer should have told you who was in the picture. After all, he had you tote it out of the house for him when the river was trying to run right through here.” She waved her hands and apron. “Now you shoo, too. The house during a barn raising is fine for us old folks. You should be out watching the work.”

“The other women—”

“Are here with their
husbands!
Now shoo.”

Emma grinned. Gladys was proving to be an ceaseless matchmaker, and the match she wanted to see made now was one between Emma and Noah. Her heart fluttered at the thought of becoming his wife. The very sound of Noah's voice thrilled her. And when he drew her close, she could lose herself in the enchantment of his touch.

Hearing Gladys laugh as she wandered out onto the porch again, Emma walked down the steps. She took a deep breath. It was no longer thick with the mud washed up from the river, but filled with the return of everything green. Soon, except for the unweathered wood on the barn, there would be no sign the river had flowed up over its banks here.

“Good morning.” Mr. Atherton tipped his hat to her as he walked back toward where the wagons were parked.

She smiled, wondering how she could have been so wrong when she had been uneasy about this man being in Haven. Her first impressions were usually reliable, but she had been so wrong about him. “Mr. Atherton, I didn't realize you were still in Haven.”

“I'm leaving on the next train north, but I wanted to thank you for making a stranger feel welcome.”

“Others haven't?”

He laughed. “No, no, I didn't mean to suggest that. The people here have been very friendly and have taken the time to answer all my silly questions.”

Emma stiffened in spite of her efforts not to. “What silly questions?”

“Oh, about how this town was settled and the residents, both new and old.” His smile remained warm, so she guessed he had not taken note of her reaction. “I haven't had a chance to visit this part of the state before, so I figured I should learn all I could. Your story about fleeing just ahead of the flood is probably the most fascinating one I heard.”

“It wasn't fascinating at the time,” Noah said, coming to stand by her side.

“Noah,” Emma said, hoping her voice did not sound breathless as it did so often when he was near, “this is Mr. Atherton who has been visiting Haven. Mr. Atherton, Noah Sawyer.”

Mr. Atherton's smile grew so wide it revealed all his teeth when he shook Noah's hand. “I suspect it wasn't fascinating at the time, but Miss Delancy has given you much of the credit for saving her, your housekeeper, and the children.”

“She's too modest.” He put his arm around her shoulders, and she could not keep from nestling closer to him. “If it hadn't been for Emma guiding us into Haven, I believe we would have ended up sitting on the house's roof while the water swirled up around us.”

Tipping his hat to her again, Mr. Atherton bid them a good day.

Noah smiled as he turned her in his arms and locked his hands together behind her waist. He brought her lips to his. Although the kiss was swift, she could see his longing for more.

And she longed to share it with him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For the kiss?” She laughed. “I should say it was my pleasure.”

“For all of this, sweetheart.” He whispered against her right ear, “My muscles are going to be very weary tonight. Do you think you could rub them for me?”

She quivered as his breath caressed her, enticing her to toss all caution aside. “I would be glad to.”

“Good!” He released her and chuckled. “That'll be much better than the concoction Gladys calls liniment.”

She took his hand as they went back to where the framing for the walls was already nearly done. Each wall was lying on the ground near the foundation. Even as she paused on the road that once had led to the barn, she heard shouts. One team was ready to raise their section into place.

“Be ready to help all my tired muscles,” he murmured as he gave her another swift kiss before running toward one group of men who were calling to him.

Leaning back against one of the trees, Emma smiled as she savored the thought of her fingers stroking his brawny back and shoulders. She closed her eyes as she imagined touching him even more intimately. For more than seven years, she had not wanted to become involved with any man. Friendship, yes. A bit of innocent flirting. That had been all right, too. But nothing more. Then the most outrageously enticing man she could have ever met burst into her life and tempted her to break all her vows to keep everything simple.

More shouts came from the direction of the barn, and she cheered when she saw two sections of the wall slowly rising. The men knew that, even if it was a contest, they must take care with this work so no one was hurt. Most of the members of each team pushed on what would be the outside and lifted the skeleton of the wall. Two men stood on the barn floor ready to nail support boards to the wall to hold it in place until the rafters could connect the roof to the walls.

Although she wanted to see which team was done first, her eyes focused on Noah, who was swinging his hammer with smooth strokes. He was laughing with the others on his team, and she could see how delighted he was to be working with wood and building something. He had not said much about the woodlot, but she knew there had been even more damage than he had led her to believe.

Applause and shouts rang out as the first wall was secured into place. The winning team was congratulated. Then the men continued their work. The guttural rasp of saws cutting through wood matched the rhythm created by the thud of hammers.

Alice Underhill walked up the hill carrying an empty bucket. Two cups rattled inside it, and Emma knew the schoolteacher had taken water to the workers.

“It's coming along well,” Alice said with a smile.

“At the rate they're going, the whole barn will be done by tonight. I'd thought we might be dancing tonight under the moonlight.”

“The dance will have to be postponed a few weeks. Everyone will dance next at Sally Young and Isaac Smith's wedding.”

“That's not until …” She laughed. “Time slips away from me when I am busy with the store and with Sean.”

Alice smiled. “And Mr. Sawyer?”

“Yes, he does keep me from thinking about other things,” she said with a laugh. Denying what must be a favorite topic of the town's gossips would be worthless.

Especially when it was true.

The soft radiance from the moon glistened off the new barn as Emma came out of the house to look west, where the lingering sunset was fading. She wiped her hands on the damp towel. At last, all the dishes were done. Belinda and Sean were asleep upstairs, finally settling down after Emma had agreed to tell them a story. It had been about a fairytale princess at Belinda's request, and a train engineer—Sean's preference.

She smiled. Tonight Sean should not wake with a sick stomach. Emma had watched him with the desserts, but she had not worried after she saw how he took the smallest piece of chocolate cake.

The peepers were singing their songs from every direction. Frogs provided a deeper undertone to the melody of the twilight song. Looking up, she saw a bat swooping to catch its supper. Even as she watched, the first star pricked through the night sky. She took a deep breath of the air and let it sift back out of her in a sigh.

“That sounds very tired.”

She glanced to her left to see Noah's silhouette as he stood from where he had been leaning against the porch railing. Smiling, she said, “Not as tired as you, I'm sure.”

“It was a long day.” He cupped her chin and tilted her face up toward his. “A most amazing day. I never expected anything like this when I came to Haven.”

“Haven is a special town.”

“I'd never argue with that.” He stepped back, holding his hand out to her. “Do you want to see the work up close?”

Emma nodded. If she spoke, she might blurt out how she had thought he would kiss her. Really kiss her. Not just the brief, teasing kisses of earlier today. Putting her hand in his, she tossed the towel over the porch railing. Dew oozed through her shoes as they walked down the hill to the new barn. A hint of chill came from the direction of the river, but vanished with the breeze.

“Can Belinda and I escort you and Sean to the wedding the week after next?” Noah asked quietly.

“Escort us?” She laughed. “The church is just on the other side of the village green from my house.”

He kneaded his shoulder and grimaced. “After the work today, I'm not certain how much farther I'll be able to walk even by then.”

“We don't need to go to look at the barn now.”

“I'm jesting.” He grimaced as he continued to rub his shoulder. “I think.”

“I promised I would massage your shoulders for you if you wished.”

“I do, but I thought you'd like to see the barn.” He ran his curved finger along her cheek. “If I sit down, I'm not sure I'll want to get up again for a long time.”

“But if you're that exhausted—”

He laughed and, tugging her hand, led her down the hill at a near run. She almost tripped, but regained her feet and drew her skirts up so she could match his steps. When they reached the bottom of the hill, he twirled her about as if they were both as young as Belinda.

As they slowed, she said, “Now
I
am exhausted! I didn't save any stamina for dancing tonight.”

Noah brought Emma's lips to his. When he lifted his mouth away after only the briefest kiss, he heard her soft moan of denial. It tempted him to lean her back in this damp grass. Instead, he led her to where an opening in the barn wall was waiting for the door to be hung.

Their footsteps echoed hollowly on the barn floor, which was littered with sawdust and curls of wood from where the rafters had been planed smooth. He watched as she slowly turned around in the milky light that poured through what would be the hayloft windows once the hayloft was finished and glass was put in place. As the moon's glow accented her face and her beguiling curves, he walked to her.

Drawing her into his arms, he asked, “What do you think?”

“I think you all did a lot of work here today.”

“I did doubt this much of the barn would be finished by the time we quit for supper.”

“You'll have more faith in the folks of Haven after you have been here for a while.” Emma reached up and brushed Noah's hair back from his eyes. “We may argue like family, but that's because, in so many ways, we
are
family.”

“Family?”

“In a way.”

“I just wanted to make sure you and I wouldn't be considered brother and sister. It'd make things much more difficult when I want to do this.” His lips captured hers.

When his fingers combed through her hair, her hairpins clattered to the floor. Emma's hands glided up his back, and she tasted the need in his deepening kiss. She gave herself to this passion, wanting more. She gasped against his mouth when his hand curved down her back, pressing her hips to his hard male muscles.

He put one arm under her knees and lifted her to lean against his chest. Against her hair, he whispered, “I hope you saved a bit of strength, sweetheart.”

“Noah, we should—”

“Yes, we should.” His mouth slanted across hers as he carried her across the barn.

She opened her eyes when he paused and lowered her toward the floor. They were surrounded by shadows, but this spot was awash with the cool, smooth light from the moon. When she discovered he was placing her on a pallet, she knew what she should have guessed from the moment she saw him on the porch. He had been waiting for her … just as she had been hoping to find him waiting for her.

He knelt beside her and ran his fingers through her hair. Then he leaned over her and whispered, “I always seem to be thanking you, sweetheart, with words. Now let me thank you without words.”

“Noah, you know this is crazy, don't you?”

“I don't know if it's crazy, but I know it's right.”

“Do you always do what you think is right?” She ran her finger along his hard jaw, which was surprisingly smooth. He must have shaven after dinner, for his whiskers had been visible then.

“Always.”

“Even—”

He silenced her by reclaiming her lips. Her hands swept up his back. She wanted to touch him, to assure herself that this was really happening, that this loving man wanted her.

Pulling away enough to speak, she protested weakly, “You should rest. You worked hard today.”

“That's what you told me the first night I stayed at your house.” He laughed. “You also told me you don't need me to feel obligated to you, but debts must be repaid. You did something very nice for me today. Let me do something very nice for you tonight.” He pressed his lips against her throat, and a cascade of yearning billowed up from within her.

“Only very nice?” she murmured.

“Much more than very nice.” His tongue etched a path of fire along her skin, and she swayed toward him.

He did not resist the invitation. He drew her beneath him, so she could discover the so-very-male texture of him.

Her eager hands slid beneath his shirt to stroke the warm skin along his back. When he gasped and whispered her name against her neck, she wanted to cede herself completely to this pleasure which enfolded her to him.