Page 42 of Her Gentle Protector
“Midge?” The mattress dipped, and the pillow was ripped from her head.
“Give that back to me,” Midge said, her arms flailing, trying to catch the pillow that Petunia tossed to the bottom of the bed.
“Ma Hartman and Marmee are here.”
“Tell them to go away. I don’t want to see anyone.” It would be just like Baxter to send his own mother and her best friend to evict them from their home.
“I’m not telling Marmee. She scares me.” Petunia gave a little laugh. She reached over and gave her sister a light shake. “Get up, Midge. You’ve not been out of bed for a week.”
“I might not get out for another week.”
“That’s it.” Petunia got off the bed and yanked the covers down. “You can’t blame Baxter for this. He did nothing but make sure that we had a place to live. You wanna know why he purchased this property?”
“I don’t want to talk about Baxter.”
“You don’t have to talk. You just gotta listen.”
Midge begrudgingly sat up, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. “Fine,” she said, wiping away a tear. “Tell me why Baxter bought this place.”
Petunia’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, her fists clenching at her sides. “Those vermin from Cowtown showed up in town looking for Pa. They put something called a lien on this house to pay for Pa’s debts. Those men wouldn’t care about putting us out before winter, but Baxter did.”
Her voice grew louder with each word, laced with anger and resentment. “Baxter purchased this to make sure you didn’t have to worry about where you were going to live. He made sure we were taken care of and protected from those greedy men. He did this for you, Midge. Who do you think brings us supplies every week? He makes sure we have enough milk for Olive and Abi?” Petunia stamped her foot on the hard floor. “Peter had no business talking to Pa, but I’m glad he did because it meant that Baxter purchased our home. I pray every day that I find someone who loves me half as much as he loves you.”
Midge’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as she remained silent. She had been completely oblivious to the situation and now she regretted not paying more attention. Her mind desperately wanted to ask Petunia how she knew all this, but her heart couldn’t handle the potential truth.
She heard Petunia’s footsteps, followed by the click of the bedroom door closing. The silence that filled the room was heavy with her sister’s words. Burrowing deeper under the covers, she wished she could hide from reality for just a little longer. But no matter how tightly she shut her eyes, she couldn’t escape the weight of Petunia’s accusations. With a sigh, she gave up pretending to sleep and reluctantly opened her eyes to face the day.
Baxter carefully poured steaming hot coffee into his favorite mug, savoring the rich aroma that filled the kitchen. Just as he was about to take a sip, a sharp knock on the door interrupted him. He was not expecting any visitors, so it took him aback when he saw six little faces peering through the window. Peter, Petunia, Ira, Josiah, Elderberry, and Jenny Beale stood huddled together on the porch, their small bodies shivering in the cool air.
“What are you doing here?” He stood in the doorway, holding it open with one hand while trying to block the heat that was escaping. The chilly air outside crept in as he waited for her response.
“We needed to talk to you,” Petunia said, pushing her way in. “Go stand by the fire, Jenny. You’ll warm up soon enough.” The sturdy wooden door creaked open, and they rushed inside, their cheeks flushed and noses red from the cold outside.
“Is this your house?” Peter asked, his eyes wide as he took it all in.
“It would have been yours as well, but you took care of that.” He watched the children move closer to the stone fireplace. “I just heated some soup my sister made. Would you like some?” When the children nodded, he headed to the kitchen to see if he needed to add more water to the pot. It would thin out the soup, but right now, he was just concerned with making sure the children were warm.
As he cut thick slices of bread, he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his legs. Looking down, Jenny hugged him, a big smile on her face.
“I miss you, Baxter,” she said, squeezing him tighter.
Baxter could feel Jenny’s chilled skin through her thin coat. “I miss you too, sweetheart.”
“I’d like some soup,” Berry said. She wrapped her arms around Baxter’s middle. “I missed you too.”
“Me too, Berry.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad you’re here.” He took her little hands and rubbed them between his palms. “Your hands are freezing. Where are your gloves at?”
“It’s not too cold,” Petunia said. “We’ll warm up in a minute.”
“Did you walk here?”
“It’s not too far,” Peter said, walking around, looking at every corner of the room.
“Is everything all right with Midge?”
With a gentle hand, he guided the children to the rustic wooden table left behind by the Callaghans. The smooth, worn surface bore the marks of countless meals and memories shared. They settled onto one of the sturdy benches, their small feet dangling above the ground. As he looked around at the faces of his family gathered around the table, his heart swelled with joy. This was what he had always dreamed of; a warm home filled with love and laughter. And now, as they sat together enjoying this simple yet precious moment, his vision had become a reality. Midge and the two little ones were the only missing pieces.
“Other than she won’t get out of bed?” Petunia snorted. “She’s okay. We came to talk to you about her.”
