Page 28 of The Preacher's Bride

But he said nothing in response as he made his way up the stairs, taking two at a time. He reached for the doorknob of his room, and then paused, looking over at Mia’s room instead. Then he let out a deep breath and walked inside his room.

Thank goodness, the children were still asleep, huddled together, just where he had left them.

He let out a deep breath as he crossed the room. He stood watching his children sleep for a long while, and then pulled the blanket up over them and tucked them in. It was cold and getting colder by the second. It was then that he noticed the dried blood covering his knuckles.

Careful not to wake the children, he crossed the room to the basin and the pitcher filled with water in the corner of the room and washed his hand.

The water stung. It was the first time that he had felt the pain. He never felt it while he was punching the ground. But now that he recalled, he hadn’t felt pain in a while, just the dull throbbing ache that had filled his chest since he had lost his Jessica.

Caleb dried his hand and hung up the towel. His hand was no longer bleeding, so he decided to try to salvage what was left of the night and get some sleep. He laid down beside the children, exhausted.

Caleb was walking down the streets of Laramie when a mist appeared on the ground around him. He looked over and Jessica was standing by the same tree in the cemetery where he had just been. She walked over and sat down on a nearby bench. “Come, Caleb. Sit with me.”

“Jessica, I’m so sorry….”

She looked up at him and smiled. “Please, sit with me.”

He nodded as he sat on the bench beside her. “Jessica—”

“Shh,” she whispered. “Don’t worry. You did what you had to do.”

Tears stung his eyes. “Jessica, I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be.” She smiled. “All I want is for you and the children to be happy.”

“Jessica, I wish it would have been me and not you.”

“Don’t ever say that.” She sighed as she looked into his eyes. “Caleb, I’m happy… and I want you to be happy, too.”

Caleb nodded. “Jessica, I miss you.”

A slight smile lit her lips as she gazed into his eyes. “Why? I’m always with you.”

Then she rose from the bench and started walking into the mist.

“Jessica, don’t leave….”

She turned and smiled, radiant in the moonlight. “I never left.”

“Pa?” Shane asked, shaking his father’s shoulder. “Are you awake?”

Caleb opened his eyes and the blinding sunlight stung. Even though he hadn’t gotten much sleep, he felt rested… more rested than he had in a while, sensing that Jessica was at peace.

Chapter 7

Mia

When Mia woke the next morning, the events of the previous day came rushing back to her and she realized that she had spent her wedding night alone. “This isn’t a marriage. It’s a circus,” she mumbled to herself. But Caleb had set the rules of their marriage being platonic, and she was going to abide by them. Mia dressed for the day, thankful for the few moments that she had alone.

When she was ready, she checked her trunk to make sure her belongings were packed and threw her coat over her arm. Outside their door, she heard that Shane and Caleb were awake. She was tempted to just go downstairs and order some coffee and wait for them to come down, but she knew Caleb would need help with the children. So, she steeled herself and knocked on the door. Caleb opened the door slightly.

“Good morning. Would you like some help with the children, or would you like me to go down to the restaurant and wait?”

Caleb opened the door, and he was buttoning his white shirt, but not before she caught a glimpse of his tight, bare muscled chest.

“Come on in.” Caleb stepped back. “The children are nearly ready. Would you mind taking them downstairs? I’ll be right there. And could you order me some coffee?”

Mia smiled, glad to see that a good night’s sleep had improved his temper. “I’d be glad to.” But when she looked over at Hailey, her hair was a mess and sticking out in every direction. “Here. I’ll be right back with a hairbrush.”

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