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She watched him as he stared at Samuel. As much as she wanted to hurt Aaron like he’d hurt her, she wouldn’t use their son to do it. “Would you like to hold him?” He nodded. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and the look in his eyes said he was as scared as she was.
Crossing to where he stood, she saw his hands shaking. “Sit down.” He nodded again and sat in the rocker Ben had made for her. Placing Samuel in his arms, she made sure he supported his head and stepped back.
She’d always thought Samuel favored Ben but Keri insisted he looked like Aaron. Seeing them both together she realized Keri had been right. There was no denying who Samuel’s father was. He was Aaron made over. She was surprised no one in town had noticed.
Her throat suddenly burned, tears filling her eyes and she turned and headed back to her bedroom. She took a few minutes to get her emotions in check then stripped Samuel’s bed linens and carried them to the kitchen, dunking everything into the soapy water in the wash tub.
Aaron was staring at Samuel like he’d never seen anything so fascinating in his life. She turned back to the soap water and Samuel’s dirty clothing. The water had cooled enough she could stick her hands in without scalding her flesh. With Samuel occupied for the moment, she washed his things, wringing them out best she could and set them aside to rinse. Samuel started crying before she could get everything in the tub cleaned.
Betsey dried her hands and looked at the clock. Samuel was probably hungry. “He’s not eaten in a while.” Aaron looked up at her and stood. She took the baby from him and debated going to her room but decided against it and sat down in the vacant rocker instead. It wasn’t as if Aaron had never seen her breasts before.
Her hands were shaking somuch Aaron wasn’t sure she’d get her dress unbuttoned but managed to after a few fumbling moments. She flicked a quick look his way before pushing the material away from her breast and pulled Samuel in close. He knew he should probably look away to give her privacy but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make himself do it.
He’d never seen a sight that stole his breath the way seeing Betsey hold his baby to her breast did. Something in his chest pulled tight, his heart thumping hard, steady beats, and every second that ticked by on the mantel clock was a reminder of how limited his time here was. He was surprised Betsey hadn’t already thrown him out. The thought of leaving made him want to dig his heels in until they took root.
He sat in the kitchen chair again and propped his elbows on his knees, watching them in the silence. He should be at work by now. He knew Percy was probably wondering where he was so he’d go soon. He just wanted a few more minutes here in the stillness with them.
Betsey turned Samuel to her other breast. When he settled against her chest she looked over at him. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I know.” He blew out a breath and sat up. “I have a lot to say to you but I need to get to work.”
“You have a job?”
He nodded. “Percy needed help over at the livery stable. It was beginning to be too much for him and Caleb alone.”
She looked away at the mention of Caleb’s name. Caleb said he’d only asked her to marry him because of the baby but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something going on between them. He’d been too furious to ask the night before. “Are you and Caleb—“ He clenched his jaw, the words getting stuck in his throat. “I know Caleb asked you to marry him. Was it only because of Samuel or was it more?”
Betsey didn’t take her eyes off Samuel. “He was just trying to help out. There wasn’t anything else going on.” She bit her bottom lip and raised her head. “I’ve not been with anyone other than you.”
Relief pulled his shoulders down from his ears. He hadn’t even been aware of the tension locking his body tight until then.
She looked away again, her voice soft when she said, “And Morning Dove? Are you and her—“
She didn’t finish asking her question but he knew what she meant. “No, we’re just friends.”
“And the time you two were alone throughout the winter?”
“I’ve not slept with her if that’s what you’re asking, nor do I plan to.” He stood and crossed to where she sat, then bent his knees and squatted at her side to be eye level with her. “I need to leave but I’d like to come back this evening.” He looked at Samuel. He was sleeping, his mouth slack against Betsey’s breast. “Will that be all right with you?” She was studying his face when he looked up at her. This close, he could see the brown speck that looked so out of place in her blue eyes. Her skin was still flawless, her golden-blonde hair shining in the firelight and one look at her plump lips brought back a rush of memories that caused his pulse to leap. “Can I come back and see you.” He reached up and pushed a stray tendril of hair away from her face. “You and Samuel?”
She nodded and he stood, leaned down and put a kiss on Samuel’s head, then placed one on Betsey’s cheek, a lot closer to her lips than the kiss he’d given her the night before. He didn’t miss her sharply inhaled breath or the sweet scent of her skin—or his desire to lean back in and kiss her properly, to taste her on his tongue and hear her whisper his name again as she held him to her as if he was trying to get away. He wasn’t sure she would have allowed it but there was time for that later. He had a lot of things to make up for before they could move forward and he could wait. He was a patient man.
Chapter Nine
Ben was late.The sun was setting on the horizon by the time he walked into the house and Betsey was in tears as he shut the door behind him. She was at the stove, trying to cook one-handed with Samuel braced against her shoulder screaming into her ear. Ben took one look at her and shooed her away.
“Go sit down. I can finish.”
She gave him a grateful look and sniffed, then crossed to the rocker and sat down. Samuel started rooting for her breast the moment she settled him close to her chest and once he was feeding, the silence was enough to ease her shattered nerves. She’d been on edge since early that morning when Aaron had dropped by. Hours after he’d left she was still trying to figure out what it all meant.
“What’s wrong?”
Ben’s voice drew her from her musings. “Aaron came by this morning.”
“What for?” She gave him a look that said his question was a stupid one. “Did he say anything before he left?”
“Nothing other than he’d be back this evening.”
“What for?” She gave him the same look again. “Right.”
