Chapter Three
MR. CLARK STARED ATher, apparently dumbfounded at her words. Perhaps he’d interpreted them to mean she didn’t care for children?
“I do love children,” she added. What a way to start off, making him think she was appalled that he had a son he expected her to mother. It was surprising, yes, and certainly unexpected, but she would hardly decline a marriage that came with a child. Especially when the little boy holding tight to Mr. Clark’s leg looked as sweet as pie.
“Hello,” she said softly, lowering herself to her knees to meet the boy at his level. “I’m Mrs. Catherine Lee, but you may call me Catherine. What’s your name?”
The boy turned slowly, prying his face from Mr. Clark’s trousers to look at her. His cheeks were patchy red from tears and a little smudge of dirt ran across his chin. She hid a smile at the thought that more dirt had likely made its way from the rest of his face to his father’s trousers.
“Rex,” he said in a quiet voice. He was maybe three or four, Catherine guessed, and had the round face and light hair of a little cherub. For a second, her heart ached. One of the babies she’d lost would have been about the same age.
She put a hand to her stomach, just briefly, before pulling it away. It was no use hoping this time would be different. She’d only hoped it would happen before she left for the Colorado Territory, but that, apparently, wasn’t to be. And now she had unplanned news to share with Mr. Clark.
As a father himself, perhaps he’d be more amendable to the idea.
“He spoke,” Mr. Clark said in wonderment as he looked down at Catherine and the boy.
She gave him a puzzled look.
“The boy isn’t mine,” he clarified.
“Oh. Oh!” An unexpected feeling of sorrow coursed through her. How silly, to feel disappointed in this revelation when she’d certainly never planned on it to begin with. “Then how . . .?”
“He appeared out of the crowd and grabbed on to me. All I know is that he’s become separated from his mother.”
“Well, in that case, Rex, we must find her.” Catherine held out a hand to the boy, and after staring it at for a moment, he took it and detached himself from Mr. Clark’s leg.
“How did you do that?” Mr. Clark asked as Catherine straightened, little Rex’s hand clutched firmly in her own. “He wouldn’t let go for anything before you arrived.”
She gave him a smile before searching the people before them. “Rex is a big name for a little boy,” she said to the child. “I imagine it means you’ll grow up to be very strong.”
The little one grinned. “My papa says that.”
“Well, then it must be true.” She looked through the crowd again. A man in a long coat stepped aside, and there, just past him, stood a women in a working dress and apron looking fitfully about the platform. “Is that your mama?” She pointed at the woman.
“Mama!” Little Rex cried out, tugging on Catherine’s hand.
The woman heard him immediately and came running across the platform. Rex ran into her arms and she held him close. Catherine’s heart pinched. When it seemed—for just a few moments—that she might finally get to be a mother, those old familiar feelings of loss were right there waiting when that dream was dashed again.
It isn’t meant to be, she reminded herself, pressing her tongue against the back of her teeth to push away the tears that stung her eyes. She ought to be happy about reuniting this boy with his mother, not crying over the fact that he wasn’t Mr. Clark’s to begin with.
“Thank you,” the woman said breathlessly. “He got away from me across the road when I was distracted. He loves the trains, so I knew he’d come here. Thank you so much for taking care of him.”
“You’re welcome,” Catherine said. Seeing the boy glance up at his mother with all the love in the world filled her heart with joy and chased away the feelings of disappointment and grief.
“I’m Mrs. Lowry,” the woman said. “We’ve only just come to town, but please let me know if you ever need anything.”
