Celeste looked down and laughed.
“She wants you to pick her up!”
Chip looked appalled and intrigued. He hadn’t had much to do with children since he’d been one himself.
“Are you sure I can’t break her?”
“Well I would certainly not be happy if you tried to drop her! But she weighs a great deal less than most of the items you usually pick up in a sawmill, like logs.”
Gingerly he bent down and put his hands under the arms that were grasping at his leg. Tugging slightly to loosen her hold, he straightened up with the child in his hands. He stood there awkwardly, holding Samantha somewhat away from him.
“I thought you said she wasn't too heavy?”
“Anything is heavy if you hold it like that. Slide her over to your hip so you can put an arm around her and hold her one handed. Or you can bring her up to your chest and she'll put her arms around your neck.”
Not sure how he was going to handle the logistics, Chip brought the baby towards his chest and was startled at the feel of legs wrapping around his waist and arms pulling at his neck. He moved one arm around the child and, feeling more secure, Samantha leaned back and looked him in the eye, then reached out and patted his cheek.
Chip got a funny lump in his throat. He'd been the baby of his family so hadn't really spent much time around youngsters outside of the school room. And once his mother died, he didn't spend much time there either. He guessed he’d kind of grown up fast, trying to keep up with the other hands at the lumberyard. By the age of 14 he had pretty much become a man, at least in his own mind.
“What’s her name?”
“Samantha. My father is William Samuel Belden and he is tickled to have a granddaughter also named ‘Sam.’”
Celeste found herself touched by the various expressions crossing the man’s face as he held her daughter securely.
“I know I am not who you signed up for, Mr. Hardwick,” she said gently, “and I'm sure my sister will be here as soon as she returns home from her visit to our cousin and discovers her presence is desired. Then you will have the bride you were expecting.”
She paused to consider her next words. “I have to admit I do not have any money. So it would do no good to take me to the hotel, unless they have jobs available. But I am a hard worker if you know someplace you think might be able to use my services. I have, in fact, come out here to find a job.”
“No need for any of that. As my wife you will only have to look after me. And maybe help in the office at the mill.”
“You are betrothed to my sister,” Celeste replied firmly.
“Well, you just admitted you're the one who actually wrote the letters, so it seems to me it must be you to whom I am betrothed. Besides you are here and she is not, and I have the church booked for,” he pulled out a pocket watch, “now! So let me assist you into the carriage, and then I'll hand you the baby and put the buggy and your bag in the back with your trunk.”
Glancing around, Celeste saw there was nothing else to do. The station was deserted and there was no one else around. So she complied.
I Need a Job
Now that the harness was no longer tugging his mane, Polecat seemed content to pull them along. Samantha, securely in her mother’s arms, looked around interest. Pointing ahead she turned to her mother and said “Horsey!” and clapped her hands in delight. Then, gurgling with laughter she looked to the side and again turned to her mother and chirped, “Man!”
Celeste agreed with both statements and gave her daughter a small squeeze, kissing her on top of the head. Glancing over at them, Chip smiled at the charming duo. Their curls had the same tint of red in the sunlight and Samantha’s eyes had remained a startling blue, much lighter than her mother's dark hazel. Chip was surprised he'd even noticed, as he didn't consider himself terribly observant, even of good-looking females.
But, Heavens, he thought to himself, I'm going to marry this one. I’ll spend the rest of my life with her. The thought was sobering, but not as overwhelming as it had been when he’d set out for the station. He glanced over to his side again.
This time Celeste caught his gaze and asked, “What? What is it you want to know?”
“Frankly,” he replied, “how such a beautiful woman as yourself with such a charming child has ended up here in Green River seeking matrimony with a stranger.”
“Well, I wasn't!” she said. “I was merely escaping an impossible situation. I won't go into the details, but my husband was killed in a carriage accident. He had made some bad investments so the bank took away our house and I was forced to return to my family home.
“My mother died recently so ours was a house in mourning, at least for my sister and me. But my father took it into his head to marry his mistress and bring her to live with us. She may have her good points, but loving children is not one of them, and she viciously attacked my daughter. I feared for her life and safety, and so got away as quickly as I could, taking advantage of your train ticket to escape.
“Unlike me, my sister has been able to tuck a few dollars aside over the years, and will, with any luck, follow in a day or two. She was quite anxious to meet and marry the man
