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Two years later
Clara put a hand on her pregnant stomach, wishing she could stop waddling. She still had nearly two months to go before the baby was born and yet she didn’t feel as if she could get much bigger.
The sun was beating down from above, fat white clouds drifting across the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful July Fourth.
And her yard was already filled with people, ready to celebrate. Food was prepared inside, but the pig still needed to be hung and cooked so they could have it for supper. The few empty rooms they had were filled with their guests, and the extension to the house with several more rooms wasn’t fully done yet.
Elias wanted to get it done before the chill of fall set in, and with the help from some of the people in town, it looked like he was going to be able to do it.
“Clara!” Emily swept over to her, holding out her hand. “Jacob gave me a ring! He said that when I’m eighteen and finished with schooling, we’re going to get married.”
Smiling, Clara looked at the ring, already mourning the loss of Emily around the orphanage but happy for her. “Two years is plenty of time to plan the perfect wedding.”
Emily ran off to go show Anna, Sarah, and Ruth.
Agnes laughed from her chair close to the orphanage, sitting out of the sun while she watched Lillian and Samuel chase after a large ball they were kicking around. “Do you want to use my property for her wedding? If she has one in the late spring, all the gardens will be in bloom.”
Mrs. Carpenter smiled and nodded, leaning back in her chair. “You have to have the wedding there in the late spring. It’s where Victor and I married all those years ago, and it’s only grown more beautiful since then.”
“I’ll see what Emily wants to do.”
Sarah came running by with Ruth close behind her. Anna slowed down, stopping in front of Clara. “Do you think we can go visit Thomas and Peter soon?”
“I think Martha would love that.” Clara grinned as Anna took off running to tell the other girls.
When Martha had married the new mayor of Willow Creek not to long ago, she had adopted Peter and Thomas too. Neither of them had been doing well in the home with the newer children, and Martha had wanted her new home to be filled with just as much love and laughter as the orphanage, so she had taken them with her.
A group of the newer children were working on their knitting, the scarves they had in their laps reminding her of the one Elias had made all those years ago. He had improved in the years since, but the old memories flooding to her made her heart warm.
She passed by the rest of the children playing with Peaches and several other goats under the sun, the pair of retrievers Elias had given her as a wedding present barking and chasing after them all.
Elias looked up as she made her way into his workshop, looking at the project he had spread out on a bench in the middle of the room.
“What’s this?” she asked, running her finger along the intricate carvings set in one of the pieces of wood.
“It’s one of the pieces of the bassinet for the baby.” Elias grinned and rounded the workbench, pulling her in and kissing her softly. “Is it as chaotic out there as we thought it would be?”
“Agnes, Lillian, and Samuel got here an hour ago. Mrs. Carpenter wasn’t far behind them.” Clara leaned into him as much as the baby bump would allow. “And Jacob and Emily are going to be getting married once she’s done her schooling.”
“I know.” Elias chuckled when she shot him a dirty look. “I was going to tell you as soon as I was done here. He came in this morning before everyone started moving around and wanted to know what I thought about it. I didn’t think he was going to give her the ring today.”
Clara smiled and shook her head. “Well, the two of them have been starry-eyed over each other for years now. I did see it coming soon. Thankfully, she’s still going to finish school before she even thinks about getting married. I don’t want her to make a mistake that she might regret later.”
“You raised her to be a strong woman.” Elias pressed another kiss to her temple, making her heart flutter just like the very first time he look at her. Two years later and their love only grew stronger.
“I know. And I know you can’t change people’s minds for them. I’m glad they’re being smart and taking the time to build their lives together.” Clara sighed and drummed her fingers on the workbench, looking at the cradle.
“If you’re thinking about Henry and Grace, they went to a good family.”
Clara looked at him over her shoulder. “How did you guess that?”
“Because it’s only been a week since they went to their new home and you still cry at night.” Elias’s hand ran over her back in soothing circles, easing out some of the knots that felt like they lived deep in her muscles since her pregnancy started.
“They’re going to love the family they’re with. They’re good people.” Elias’s hand stopped. “You have a big heart, love, and those children are lucky to have you in their lives for however long they need you, and they’re always going to know they can come to you if they need anything.”
“How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?” she asked, turning to him with a smile.
“Because I’ve known who you are since the moment we met.” He glanced out the window before looking back at her. “It looks like the rest of the town is starting to show up.”
“Why did I agree to host a Fourth of July celebration when I’m this pregnant?” Clara stood upright, putting a hand against her lower back and trying to ignore the dull throb there.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had gotten a good night of sleep, but it was all worth it. Their baby was going to be with them early in September. All the other children were eager to meet the baby, but that came with hard conversations too, about how she wouldn’t love the other children any less just because she had a baby.
Daniel and Charles were particularly upset, though she suspected that had more to do with Peter and Jonathan leaving than anything else. Jonathan didn’t seem too bothered by it, but he didn’t much like to talk about how he was feeling either.
“I worry about the children,” Clara said, stopping at the door to the workshop and watching them all running and playing under the sun. “All of them and what’s going to happen once the baby is here.”
“We’re going to keep loving everyone the way we always have.” He looped an arm around her waist, walking with her toward the house. “And when problems come up, we’re all going to talk through them and sort through them as a family.”
Clara pressed closer to him as she looked down the road to see Martha, Matthew, Thomas, and Peter coming up the road. “It looks like everyone is here.”
“Mr. Carpenter couldn’t come?”
“No. When Mrs. Carpenter got here, she said there was some work he wanted to do with the orchard while everyone was gone and nobody would be bothering him.” Clara grinned and shook her head. “I think he’s just looking forward to them all being gone for a little bit. He’s a lot like you.”
“Some men just like to have a little bit of time on their own,” Elias said, his tone teasing. “Now, I’m going to get the fire pit going and the pig cooking.”
Clara nodded and took a seat near Agnes, running a hand over her stomach, wincing as the baby started kicking. Martha came over and sat beside her as the boys rushed off to join the other children.
“How are you?” Martha asked, leaning over to put her hand over where the baby is kicking. “I can’t believe the family is going to be getting even bigger before we know it.”
“I know.” Clara stretched out her legs. “It’s going to be wonderful. The children keep arguing about the name. Sarah is convinced we should name the baby after her, regardless of whether the baby is a girl or boy. Ruth and Anna both hate the names the other picked. The boys have little interest in suggesting things other than Buttocks the Brave, because none of them want another child in the house, and Emily seems to be the only reasonable voice.”
“I still like Joseph or Maria,” Elias said as he walked out of the house with the pig strung between him and Matthew. “But the choice is yours. Unless you suddenly agree with the boys.”
Clara’s upper lip curled and she shook her head. “No thank you.”
He laughed and shook his head, off to get the fire going and the pig hung above it to roast. Clara watched him, feeling more in love with him than ever.
“I didn’t think he was going to take to living with this many people,” Agnes said, watching everyone play together, a game starting between them, the ball being kicked around, laughter filling the air.
“I didn’t know how he would do either, but once the cattle got here and the rest of the animals were settled, he seemed to settle too.” Clara kept running her hand over her stomach as the baby kicked like it was already playing with the other children.
“All he needs is a little space to feel comfortable.” Agnes leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes a little. “How have his nightmares been?”
“There are times when he still wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, but they’re fewer. I don’t think the memories of the war sit with him as much as they used to.” Clara stared at Elias, watching as he laughed and spoke with Matthew, Jacob coming over to see what they were doing.
“Good.” Agnes shifted in her seat. “I’ve been worried about that man for a long time, but he started to change when you came into his life. I know the start might not have been easy for you, but the journey is often the most beautiful part of a relationship.”
Clara nodded, turning that over in her mind. Agnes was right. The start to their relationship might not have been the easiest or the most traditional, but the journey of their relationship had been the best part so for.
Each day, she got to learn who Elias was and show him who she was. They got to have fun together and grow together.
It was everything she had ever wanted from a partner.
Elias came over once the pig was starting to roast and sat on the bench with her. She leaned into his side, putting her head on his shoulder and taking a deep breath. His arm wrapped around her shoulder, and while Agnes and Mrs. Carpenter chatted, he stayed there, silent but comforting.
The children slowly started making their way over, bringing their game closer. Sarah turned to them with her hands on her hips. “Elias, come join us!”
Clara laughed and kissed his cheek quickly. “Looks like duty calls.”
He chuckled and stood up, kissing her again quickly before jogging off to play with the children. He kicked the ball hard and sent it flying, everyone scrambling to run after it. Clara leaned back and watched them, laughing and enjoying herself.
“Come on, Clara,” Samuel said, coming over and taking her by the hand, helping her to her feet.
And as she waddled after the children, kicking the ball when it got close to her, she knew this was everything she had ever wanted for her life.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Western Hearts United", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue. I’m very much looking forward to your comments. Thank you. 💖
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is full of mystery and romance, but I wanted to convince Clara to listen to Martha’s advice.