Page 13 of A Groom for Heather
“Look, Auntie Heather,” Millie’s daughter, Mary Rose, said lifting her hands. They were covered in red from the peppermint stick that was melting in her hand.
“Oh, my goodness. You are going to need a bath tonight, aren’t you?”
Millie laughed. “I found your two charges in there as well.” She nodded towards Arthur. “It appears that he is going to be a scoundrel! He talked Mrs. Talley into giving each of them two peppermint sticks.”
Heather giggled and looked at her children. Cecily smiled widely, revealing a bright pink tongue. “Oh goodness.” Arthur had a ring of colored sugar around his lips. “I think these two will need a bath as well.”
“Bath night ain’t until Saturday.”
“Bath night is whenever I say it is, young man,” Heather laughed.
“Where are you headed?” Millie asked, taking Mary Rose’s sticky hand then releasing it. She flexed her fingers before wiping the sugary mess on her skirt. “Good thing tomorrow is laundry.”
“Let’s walk towards the park,” Heather suggested.
“Good, because there is something I want to talk to you about.”
Heather raised her eyebrow and glanced sideways at her friend. “I want to talk to you as well.” She pointed down the road. “You children run ahead.” The children took off racing towards the park. “Don’t get too far ahead though,” Heather called. “I still want to see you.”
“We’ll catch up at the schoolhouse,” Millie said. “I forgot my lesson plan book.”
Heather walked at a leisurely pace up the road. “Now what do you want to talk to me about?”
“I know you’ve been looking to sell the farm…”
“About that,” Heather interrupted.
Millie put her hand up. “Please, hear me out.” Heather signaled for Millie to continue. “I know you’ve been looking to sell the farm. But I’m going to need you here. At least until October.”
“What’s happening in October?” Heather’s eyes grew wide as she looked at her friend. Millie’s face was slightly puffy with a green tint and she had circles underneath her eyes. She watched Millie’s hand move down and cover her belly, almost subconsciously. “Oh Millie,” Heather cried. She felt the burning behind her eyes and wiped at them with the back of her hand. “I will not cry,” she insisted. Hugging her friend, she squealed. “You are going to have another baby!”
Millie wrapped her arms around Heather. “I need you to be here when I have the baby. I can’t do this without you.”
Heather released Millie and the tears were starting to fall in earnest. “Of course, I’ll be here. Are you sure?”
“Well, it isn’t my first child. I missed my menses,” she whispered, “and then I started counting days. The sickness, not being able to be around certain scents. Why I went into the barn the other day and I thought I was going wretch right on Robert’s boots.”
“You’ve not been married even two months.”
Millie laughed. “Heather, you are the midwife. You should know that babies don’t have any timetable. What a wonderful gift God has brought us.”
Heather was happy for her friend. She truly was, but she was sad at the same time. Sad that she and Jackson didn’t have any children. Sad that Millie was going to have her second child and Heather had no prospects of remarrying. By her own choice.
She and Millie made a promise that they would raise their children together. How would that happen if she left Last Chance? She looked at her friend as Millie waved to someone in the distance.
Millie found love in the form of a man hiding in her barn. Robert “Deuce” Taylor was wanted for murder but was found innocent when the actual murderers came demanding money and confessed to everything. Heather hadn’t seen her friend look this happy in a long time.
“Now, what is your news?” Millie finally asked.
Heather sobered. “It’s nothing. Mr. Cairn needs to see me tomorrow.”
“Oh!” Millie said looping her arm through Heather’s. “Is it about the adoption?”
“Y-yes. That’s it,” Heather replied softly.
“You don’t seem happy.”
Heather gave a sharp laugh.Isn’t that just what Mr. Cairn said?
