“What do you usually do to occupy yourself in the evenings?” she asked. It was funny how simply airing out their misunderstandings had made her feel so much more comfortable with him. And it had certainly taken away that layer of grouchiness Rafe had carried around like a shield.
“Honestly? Work. There’s no end of trouble to watch for in this town.”
Hannah chewed on her lip as she hung the dish towel. What was she to do with herself if he went to work every night? She had visions of sitting by the lamplight, sewing alone in silence. At least at theorphanage, she’d had plenty of people around for conversation or games.
“I suppose I could arrange the pantry,” she said. Never mind there wasn’t much to really arrange.
Rafe eyed her from the settee. “I’m going nowhere tonight. Hawk and Bart will have to do without me, unless they want to carry me off this settee. I’d be more likely to fall asleep standing up than stop anyone from getting up to mischief.”
Hannah laughed. “So the key to keeping you home in the evenings is making you eat half a cake?”
He groaned, and she laughed again. “I want to arrange the pantry and ensure the kitchen is clean for the morning. After that, I’ll come keep you company.”
“You don’t need to do all of that tonight,” he said.
But Hannah shook her head. “I’ll sleep easier once I know it’s done.” She turned toward the pantry and began moving around the items she’d purchased while she tried not to think of sleep. She certainly was tired, but when she thought of that single bed in the corner of the room, she became so nervous she could hardly breathe. All she could hope was that she didn’t react in the same way she did at their wedding.
Hannah closed her eyes at the memory, her face heating. She ought to have realized how personally he’d taken that reaction. It was good to have talked about it. Now it just needed to never happen again. Jack Donahue was in her past, far away in New York. She’d never see him again, much less need to fend him off.
Satisfied with what she’d done in the pantry, Hannah turned her attention toward sweeping the floor around the stove and table. After sweeping, wiping a few crumbs off the table, and emptying the dishwater, she brushed her hands together before taking off the apron she wore and returning to the sitting area.
Rafe was still lying back on the settee—fast asleep.
Hannah couldn’t help but smile as she watched him. He was just as tired as she was after the day they’d had. Instead of sitting down to conversation, Hannah took the lamp he’d left on the end table and walked silently across the room toward the chest of drawers. She quickly dressed for bed and then sat down, pondering what to do.
She could wake Rafe. Surely he didn’t normally sleep in his clothing on the settee. Or she could let him get the rest he clearly needed.
It was easy to settle on the latter option.
Mind made up, Hannah doused the lamp and slid beneath the quilt. She barely had time to register how comfortable it was before sleep took over.
As the next few days passed, Hannah fell into a rhythm of cooking, cleaning, visiting with her friends, and conversing with Rafe. And each evening, he chose to sleep on the settee.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he said.
Hannah wasn’t about to argue, although she suspected he feared she might draw away from him again if he came too close.
One long afternoon, she was just taking bread out of the oven when Rafe arrived home early. He held two items in his hand—one envelope and something bulkier wrapped in brown paper.
“It’s nice to see you home so early,” she said as she set the bread to cool.
“Billy Morrell came in and asked to work before he’s due over at Mrs. Garner’s. It was all right with Hawk, so I left.” Rafe shook hishead. “You know he’s asking us all to call him Will now? He looked downright miserable today, like he had the weight of the world on him.”
“I’ll call on Mercy tomorrow and see if there is anything they need,” Hannah said. She’d seen her friend only the day before, and everything seemed well enough with her.
Rafe held out his hand. “This envelope is addressed to you. The package is something I picked up at the general store.”
He’d gotten her a gift? Delighted and entirely surprised, Hannah reached for the wrapped item first. She set it on the table and untied the string that held the wrapping in place. The brown paper fell away to reveal a reticule. It was simple, a soft and shiny brown fabric with a pretty gold clasp. Hannah thought it one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
She held it to her chest and spun toward Rafe. “It’s lovely, but you didn’t need to buy it for me. I can’t imagine what it cost.”
He shook his head as if that didn’t matter. “You didn’t have one, and you need something to carry money safely. It was the only style Warner had in the shop. If you don’t like it, I’ll bring it back and see if he can order something more to your taste.”
Hannah held the little bag to her as if she was afraid he’d take it back right then. “Iloveit. Thank you.” She held it out again to admire it. “I’ve never owned one before.”
Rafe’s jaw twitched as if he were hiding some emotion he didn’t want her to see. “I’m glad you like it. Here’s your letter. It’s from New York.”
Hannah set the reticule on the table before taking the envelope from Rafe. She couldn’t imagine who might be writing her. Her only friends had come with her to Perseverance. Perhaps it was Mrs. Talbottor the cook from the orphanage, writing to ensure they had all arrived safely.
