Twice Blessed (25 page)

“Look!” cried Belinda, tugging on Emma's dress and pointing along the tables that were burdened with food. “There's a cake with
four
tiers.”

“One for each of us.”

“Can I have the biggest one?”

With a laugh, Emma said, “I think it'd be for the best if we share.”

Belinda tilted her head to one side and replied, “I don't want to get sick like Sean did.”

“That's right.”

The guests crowded into the hall, each one trying to talk louder than his neighbor in an attempt to be heard. The children were sent to fill their plates and find a spot to sit on the raised platform at the far end of the room. When Doc Bamburger pulled out his fiddle and began to play, several men rushed to get their makeshift musical instruments. A spoon and a washboard matched the three-quarter time of bare hands on a washtub.

Emma swung Belinda's hand in tempo with the music as she led the way to the platform where Sean was saving her a place on one side of him while Jenny Anderson sat on his other side. The little girl giggled when Emma began to sing the words to the tune they were playing.

“What's that song?” Belinda asked.

“It's a song we sing often here after Grange business is done.”

“Will you teach it to me?”

“Of course.”

“Tonight?”

Emma was sure her cheeks must be bright red as she said, “No, not tonight, but soon.”

“Tonight she's going to teach it to me,” Noah said when he took her hand.

He kissed her, and she longed to melt into this fantasy she had never believed would be hers. Her fingers in his hair shook with the power of the yearning she was trying to hold in check … for a few more hours.

Accepting congratulations from her friends, Emma was pleased to hear Gladys had made the cake for them in Reverend Faulkner's kitchen. She had been uncertain how the housekeeper felt about Noah bringing a wife into
her
house. All anxiety faded away when Gladys gave her a big hug.

“Make him happy, Miss Del—Mrs. Sawyer,” Gladys said with tears in her eyes.

“I hope I can. I know he makes me happier than I've ever been.”

“That's a good beginning.”

Sean was thrilled to discover Gladys had put white icing over her delicious chocolate cake. Promising to have “just two small pieces, Emma,” he took two plates that held servings which Emma would never have described as small. She knew he had learned his lesson, so she enjoyed her cake while sitting beside Noah.

“So much for our quiet wedding,” he said with a chuckle.

“With a crowd this large, it may be easier to slip away without having to endure a shivaree.”

He smiled. “Now there's a thought.”

Emma had no chance to answer as Doc Bamburger began playing his fiddle again. This time, the other musicians did not join in, so the sweet sound of the melody filled the Grange Hall.

With a laugh, Noah grabbed Emma's hands and swirled her out to dance as the middle of the room was cleared. She heard Belinda and Sean cheer from the front of the hall, but she was caught anew by the desire in Noah's dark eyes. As her feet followed his smooth steps, all the music, even her own singing of the words to the old tune, faded beneath the frantic beat of her heart. She thought of how they would move together later tonight.

“This is a nice gathering,” she whispered, “but …” She curved her fingers up over his collar to brush his nape.

“Didn't you tell me patience is a virtue?” Noah answered as lowly as his hand glided up her back, holding her closer than propriety allowed.

“Yes.”

“But I see no patience in your eyes, sweetheart.” He chuckled. “Some things are worth waiting for.”

“Some things are difficult to wait for.”

His mouth slanted across hers, and cheers filled the hall. When he stepped away from her too quickly, she was about to protest, then realized the music had stopped.

Emma had no chance to dance again with Noah. She was sure she had danced with every man in the hall by the time Doc Bamburger put down his fiddle and called for something to drink. As she started to look for Noah in the crowded room, she saw Alice and her beau standing in a corner as they gazed with love into each other's eyes.

Going to the table where she had left the bouquet of wildflowers Sean had picked for her in the field behind the house, she picked it up and carried it to Alice. She placed it in her startled friend's hands and said, “For the next bride in Haven.”

“You're supposed to throw the bouquet.” Alice's eyes glowed with happiness.

“I told you I wanted
you
to have it.”

Noah emerged from the press of guests to put his arm around Emma's shoulders. “You might as well accept the inevitable, Hahn,” he said to Alice's bashful beau, who was turning a brighter red with each passing second. His voice softened as he said, “It's time to be heading home, sweetheart.”

She nodded and bid her friends good night. Gathering up the children and Gladys, she laughed when she saw, in the lights from inside the Grange Hall, Noah's rickety buckboard had been adorned with more of the paper decorations. She helped the children into the back while Noah gave Gladys a hand in to sit between Sean and Belinda. Then Emma let him lead her around to the front of the wagon.

He lifted her up to the seat, his smile broadening as he stroked her side. Jumping up beside her, he picked up the reins. A few bawdy shouts came from the doorway of the Grange Hall, but they were quickly silenced as other men pointed to the children in the back.

With a wave, Noah turned the buckboard toward the road leading out to his farm. Emma nestled her head against his shoulder and looked up at the sky that was littered with stars and the widening moon. She had stopped believing in dreams coming true … until now. Her nightmares were behind her, and she would be happy again.

A small hand pulled on her skirt. Sitting straighter, Emma looked back to see Belinda being grasped and pulled back down to sit by Gladys who said, “Sorry she disturbed you. I'll keep a closer eye on her, Mrs. Sawyer.”

Emma smiled when Noah chuckled at her new name. Leaning over the seat, she asked, “What do you want, Belinda?”

“You said you'd teach me that song soon.”

“Not tonight is what she said,” her father corrected.

“But she said soon. And isn't it soon by now?”

Putting her hand on Noah's arm to halt his reply, Emma said, “All right. I'll teach part of it to you, but you must wait to learn the other songs.”

Belinda nodded so vigorously that her bonnet bounced to fall back onto her braids.

“You're spoiling her,” Noah murmured.

“A child needs to be spoiled a bit sometimes.”

“Just save some of this attention for your husband, Mrs. Sawyer.”

“Are you jealous, Mr. Sawyer?”

She thought he would fire back a teasing retort, but he turned her to press her against him as he whispered, “I wish to jealously guard every moment we can spend together, and I don't want to share a single one with anyone else, not even the children.”

“Soon,” she said as quietly.

“That's hardly the answer I want.”

“But you see how soon ‘soon' came for Belinda.” She kissed his cheek.

Emma looked back at the children as Noah laughed and drove them out onto the country road. He listened to her lyrical voice sing the words to the song the doctor had played earlier. He chuckled at the silly words and how the children tried to make their way through the first verse without missing any notes or words.

He gazed off into the night. This had been the right thing to do. He was certain of that, but the familiar small nugget of uneasiness refused to be banished from his stomach. It was time to do as he had told Emma and leave the sorrow of the past in the past.

Looking away from the road that the horse could probably see better than he could, he admired the lovely woman sitting beside him. He had not guessed until he arrived in Haven and met Emma that he could be happy like this again. Yes, he had been happy to have Belinda safe with him after the fire, but she was a child. He had longed for the love of a woman who was everything he had dreamed of—alluring and gentle-hearted and intelligent and … alluring.

He laughed under his breath. How irresistible Emma was seemed to be the only thing he could think of tonight. She glanced at him, clearly curious at what he found amusing, but continued to sing with Belinda and Sean as the wagon turned onto the road to the barn. Noah smiled when Sean's voice cracked, but the boy continued gamely on.

When Noah saw a horse tied to the paddock fence that he had built last week, he stopped the buckboard. He jumped down from the seat and lifted Emma out.

“I don't know whose horse it is,” she said before he could ask. “It's too dark to see the markings. Who would be out here
tonight
?”

He glanced toward the house and saw someone move on the porch. Whoever had ridden out here was waiting there for them. He considered telling Emma to stay here with the others, but told himself he was being silly. This probably was someone who had missed the wedding party and wanted to wish them well.

When he climbed up the steps to the porch, he saw a familiar face in the thin moonlight. He did not have a chance to speak before Emma said, “Oh, Lewis, we missed you at the Grange Hall. I looked for you so we could have our dance.”

“I was busy.” His voice was oddly brusque, and Noah wondered if the man was chagrined that he had let his work get in the way of his friend's wedding.

Emma smiled. “There's some wedding cake left which we brought with us, and I'm sure Gladys can find us something to drink.”

“Do you prefer coffee or tea, sheriff?” asked the housekeeper as she opened the door.

“Nothing for me,” Lewis said. “I won't be staying long.”

“What can we do for you?” Noah held the door open so the children could scurry in after Gladys. Motioning toward the rocker, he said, “Have a seat. I think I danced my feet off tonight, and I'm going to give them a rest.”

Emma sat next to Noah on the swing at the side of the porch. As they rocked in unison, she put her hand in his. He smiled at her, then looked at the sheriff who was still standing.

Noah tensed, noting again how taut the man's shoulders were. “Is something wrong, Lewis?”

“I'm afraid so.” He pulled a piece of paper out from under his coat. “Over the telegraph tonight, I received this warrant giving me the authority to make an arrest.”

Emma gave a moan so soft Noah doubted any ears but his had heard it. Her fingers tightened painfully around his. Her voice broke as Sean's had when she began, “Lewis, you must let me—”

The sheriff paid her no attention as he said, “The warrant is for your arrest, Mr. Sawyer.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Emma stared at the sheriff. She must have heard him wrong. If he had said the warrant was for her arrest, she could have understood that her first marriage was returning to destroy her second one. But Noah …

She looked at Noah, but he was staring straight ahead, his face wiped clean of any emotion. Why wasn't he saying something?

She must! “Lewis,” she asked, “would you repeat what you just said?”

The thin sheriff gave her a sorrowful glance, and his stern voice softened as he said, “I sure am sorry to be bringing this on your wedding day, Emma, but it was waiting at the telegraph office.” He held up the page. “I sent a message back to make sure there hadn't been a mistake. There wasn't. I'm supposed to arrest Noah.”

“Arrest Noah?” Emma jumped to her feet. “Why would anyone swear out a warrant on Noah?”

Noah put his hand on her arm as he stood more slowly. He took the page Lewis held out to him. His lips tightened as he read it.

“Noah, what is it?” she asked.

When he handed it to her, she ignored the fancy lettering at the top. She scanned the page and choked back a gasp.
Kidnapping!
He was to be arrested on a charge of kidnapping? This made no sense.

“Lewis, this must be a mistake,” she said, her voice breaking as Noah plucked the warrant out of her numb fingers.

The sheriff sighed. “I didn't want to interrupt your wedding reception, so I figured it'd be just as easy to come out here to deliver this. I knew you'd be returning here after your wedding.”

“It has to be a mistake,” Emma said again. She gripped the porch pole to steady herself before she could be thrown back to the first time she had said those exact words to a lawman. She had been standing in the parlor of her comfortable house in Kansas. Then, her sister had been with her, so shocked by Miles's treachery that she could not speak.

Emma would not let Noah be tarred with someone else's wrongdoing as she had been. She would speak up! But why was he saying nothing in his defense?
Tell Lewis the truth
, she wanted to shout.

“Whether it's a mistake or not, it's official,” replied Lewis. “Straight from Chicago.”

“Chicago?” she whispered. Staring at Noah, who was still silent, she sat back on the swing before her legs gave out from beneath her.

She looked through the window at the furniture in the parlor and the dining room beyond. When she had asked about it, Noah had reacted as if she were attacking him … or accusing him of some heinous crime. She reached out and took his hand.

He flinched, and tears thickened in her eyes. She could not ask him how he could believe that she would turn against him when her lips still smoldered with the heat of his slow-burning kisses.

Then he put his other hand around hers and looked down at her. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. This isn't what I thought our wedding night would be like.”

“Noah, why would anyone accuse you of kidnapping?” She faltered, then asked, “Who are you supposed to have kidnapped?”