Love Her Softly

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Emma stepped out of the doc's feeling as if she were floating on air.

She was with child.

She'd been fairly certain she was but she hadn't told Liam about her suspicions. He had brought her to town that morning before going back home to work on Patrick's cabin which was nearly complete.

Emma had used a visit with Anita to disguise her true reasons for wanting to come into town.

A babe was growing her belly. A piece of her and Liam would soon join the world and be in her arms.

The smile on her face was impossible to wipe away as Emma breezed down the boardwalk, paying no attention to those she passed along the way.

She was so lost in her happy thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps closing in behind her. When a hand suddenly tapped her shoulder, Emma nearly screamed and spun quickly.

"Emma! Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" Ben gasped, covering his chest with his hand. "I called your name several times but you didn't seem to hear me."

Emma took several breaths to calm her heartbeat before offering him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ben. I'm sorry I was so lost in my thoughts."

"I won't keep you long," Ben assured her. "I was wondering if you'd seen Cassandra this morning. I spoke to Miss Anita and she said Cassandra was somewhere in town running errands."

Emma shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ben. I haven't seen her. I was at the doc's and...."

"The doc's?" Ben quickly interrupted with concern. "Are you ill? Where is Liam?"

Emma was quick to shush him and he tilted his head as she spoke. "I'm not ill, Ben.. I was at the doc for personal reasons and Liam does not know I was there. He's at home working on Patrick's cabin."

A knowing light lit Ben's eyes but if he understood her reasons for visiting the doctor, he didn't say. Instead he laid a friendly hand on her arm and Emma forced herself to accept the contact. Ben was a friend—not a man who wished to hurt her.

"I'll let you get on about your day then, Emma. I really do need to find Miss Cassandra...."

"There she is." Emma pointed to the overwhelming mass of curls currently coming out of the mercantile. "I'll walk with you, Ben. I was needed to buy a few things."

Emma noticed that the man was no longer speaking and his face grew more pale with each step they took across the bustling street. Cassandra caught sight of them and a smile lit her face. "Well will you look at that! My two favorite people in the whole world both appearing at once."

"Hello, Cassandra," Emma replied. She waited for Ben to speak as well but the man's mouth simply moved up and down as if he were a fish struggling to breath out of water. What in the world was wrong with him?

Emma cleared her throat. "Cassandra, Ben said he had something he wished to speak to you about. I'll just step into the store and give the two of you some privacy."

Emma slipped away, hoping that whatever Ben had to say was a good thing. Cassandra truly had fallen for the preacher and Emma didn't want to see her friend hurt.

She peered through the dusty haze and found the small fabric section toward the back of the store. Making her way around barrels of dried fruit and nuts, Emma approached the meager selections.

She could go to the dress shop for a more ample supply of fabrics but she didn't want any of those shop keeps to let it get around town that she'd been buying the fabric she was hoping to find—all she needed was for Bethany's mother, Mrs. Ryan, or Bethany herself to find out.

Emma had so far managed to completely avoid them since her last run in with Bethany and she wished to keep it that way.

Emma ran her fingers over a soft, thin yellow fabric adorned with dancing bears. She could see her child swaddled up with that and sleeping soundly upon Liam's chest. The price was nearly triple the rougher, plain white fabric that she would typically use for a blanket or outfit—but she did have money from selling her pies and Liam surely wouldn't mind if she splurged on enough to make only a couple blankets and perhaps a pillow.

Emma picked up the fabric bundle and was on her way to the clerk when Cassandra came bursting into the store. The woman collided with her, taking her hands and hopping up and down like a person possessed.

"What in the world?!" Emma demanded.

Cassandra's cheeks were flushed bright red as she tossed her curls from her face. "Hell, Emma, you won't believe what just happened!"

Emma glanced toward the door but no one was there. Where had Ben gone? "What happened?" she found herself asking.

"Ben done went and asked me to marry him! Can you believe that? A man that good and decent and handsome wanting to marry a woman like me?"

"You're a very good woman," Emma quickly assured her. Before she could say anything else, Cassandra was speaking once again.

"My pa and brothers sent me here sure that I was a waste of womanhood and would only ever be in their way. And now I got a man better than all of them put together wanting to make me his wife!"

Emma smiled, her friend's happiness was truly infectious. Today was a good day. "What did you say?" she asked. "Are you going to marry him?"

Cassandra gasped, pulled away and slapped herself in the forehead. "I plumb forgot to answer!"

The store keep chuckled from behind the counter. "I can see the poor man from here. He's pacing that boardwalk and appears ready to fall over dead. You might want to go put him out of his misery."

Cassandra let out a curse and barreled from the store, nearly toppling over a barrel of dried meat and forcing an elderly couple to leap from her path.

Emma went to the counter and as she was paying for her purchase, she heard Ben let out a happy holler and her smile grew.

She gathered up the brown paper wrapped bundle and stepped outside. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Ben asked me to go have some lunch with him at the café. I told him we should invite you. Do you want to come with us?"

"No, I think you need to spend some time together and enjoy each other," Emma insisted. "I'm going to go visit Anita for a while and then ride home."

"Are you sure?" Cassandra asked, her star-filled eyes seemingly unable to look away from Ben's smiling face.

"I'm sure. Enjoy your day. I truly am happy for you both."

"Oh, Emma?" Cassandra finally broke eye contact with Ben. "Please don't tell Anita. I wanna surprise her when I get back."

Emma smiled. "Your secret is safe with me."

Emma parted ways with her friends and headed toward the boarding house. She was just rounding a corner at the end of town when a shadow fell behind her.

"Well, well, well.... Look what I found." 

A/N: Cliffhanger, i know don't kill me! Also wanted to note that I know this chapter is short--Im' doing my best during summer vacation for my kiddos to get you chapters up somewhat regularly--that means they may end up being a bit shorter! Love y'all!