“You know that Rosie isn’t like other women. She’ll never be able to do a lot of things, and the things she does do, she might do much slower than others.”
Rob smiled. “She’s more driven to accomplish things than anybody I know. But the fact is, we can’t all be good at everything. My pa is good at building things out of wood, but I make a mess of it every time. I am good, however, at tearing apart a gun and putting it back together. I’ve given thought to becoming a gunsmith. I just seem to understand how to handle them. It doesn’t matter if Rosie’s good at everything so long as she’s happy. And I intend to do what I can to make her happy.”
Colton couldn’t deny the young man’s sincerity, nor could he fault his answers. He knew what it was to love someone so much that it didn’t matter what they had or what they could do.
“I promise you, Mr. Benton, I’ll always put her first and take good care of her and anybody else who comes along. Iknow you and I haven’t sat down and had long talks about life or gotten to know each other as well as maybe you’d like, but that will come in time. If you let me marry Rosie, we’ll be family, and you’ll always be an important part of our lives.”
“Have you prayed about it, Rob?”
“I have. I’ve been doing nothing but praying about it since I first met Rosie.” He grinned, and Colton had never seen a happier expression on anyone’s face. “I’m praying right now.”
Rich snorted a laugh, and Colton had to chuckle as well. “Then you have my permission to ask Rosie for her hand.”
For a moment his response took Rob by surprise. It took Colton by surprise as well. He’d never figured to give his sister’s hand to anyone, and now here he was, agreeing to let a stranger marry her.
He looked at Rich and shook his head. “Now if I can just figure out how to convince Emma that I am just as sincere in my feelings for her.”
17
Emma had been most uncomfortable sitting next to Colton at church, and now that he was coming home with them for lunch, she was even more dismayed. It had been raining all week, and her mood matched the heavy skies overhead. She hated nursing hurt feelings but still wasn’t sure what to do about anything.
She’d said very little to Colton aside from offering him a nod and a “Good morning.” She didn’t want to get caught up in conversation or to revisit the situation of his brothers wanting him to marry her. She had come to the conclusion that she would sign over all of her railroad stock to Rosie, and maybe then Colton and his brothers would leave her alone. The only problem was that she didn’t even want to discuss that much. She was afraid to talk to Colton. Afraid her feelings might get the best of her. Instead, she planned to see a lawyer as soon as possible and let him arrange everything.
Some people might think her hasty to make such a choice, but she’d been thinking about this even before learning the truth. The railroad was a family legacy, and no one ever expected that the youngest brother would die so young. Just as no one had expected Rosie to be so capable. After muchconsideration, Emma felt it was only right that Rosie should have the stocks, or the money from the sale of them, and her mother’s jewelry. That way she’d never be dependent upon her brothers for her future. Emma hadn’t yet discussed the matter with Rosie but figured perhaps once Colton left after lunch, she’d have an opportunity to explain it to her. She could just bring it up over lunch, but she wanted to let Rosie know first.
“You can sit and read the newspaper,” Rosie told Colton as they entered the house. “Emma and I will get lunch.”
Emma and Rosie had cooked a pork roast and other things on Saturday and only needed to warm them up for Sunday luncheon. Maybe once she helped Rosie put it together, Emma could make her excuses and get something later. Rosie anticipated her, however, and made it clear that she expected Emma to join them.
“You didn’t have any breakfast, and I know you must be hungry. Colton won’t say or do anything bad. I won’t stand for it. We’ll put him on the other side of the table away from you.”
Emma didn’t want to argue. She was tired of the entire matter. She gave Rosie a nod and tied on an apron. Surely, she could endure one meal.
They worked together as they often did to get things ready. Rosie no longer had need to ask so many questions and went to her duties without concern. Emma might have offered something of praise, but she didn’t feel much like speaking. There was something about just knowing she’d have to face Colton over the luncheon table that wearied her.
When they finally sat down to dinner, she let Colton and Rosie talk about whatever topic they chose. She would eat with them and then quickly leave to find solace in her bedroom away from Colton’s presence. Maybe then she’d feel some relief. But she doubted it.
Why did this have to hurt so much? How had he come to mean so much to her in such a short time? She hadn’t even been a widow six months, and yet she’d allowed herself to be kissed by Colton twice. She allowed his passion to become her own.
She thought of Tommy and all that they had planned to do, but thoughts of those things were already fading away. They certainly no longer held her interest as they once had. In having faced death, Emma could say that most of those things now seemed unimportant, even ridiculous. Why had they acted so childishly?
“These new potatoes and creamed peas are the best I’ve ever had,” Colton said, giving both ladies a big smile. “I don’t know who is responsible, but they’re really good.”
“Emma made them,” Rosie offered. “She learned it from her mama. I wish our mother could have taught me to cook.”
Colton chuckled. “I’m not sure our mother knew how. She was raised in a very well-to-do family with more servants than you could count. I think the main things she was taught to do were sing, play the piano, and embroider.”
“I think I’d like to learn to play the piano. Emma said we could get one if I was serious. I have so many things I want to learn, though, that I figured we should probably wait.”
Emma kept her eyes on the food. She picked up a dinner roll and tore a piece from it. She popped it into her mouth, hardly tasting it as Rosie began on another topic.
“Rob and I are going for a walk this afternoon. After that we’re going to have a riding lesson. He’s been teaching me about the saddle and telling me stories about when he was a boy learning to ride. I’m so excited. I want to have my own horse someday.”
“Goodness, Rosie, it would seem you want to do everything at once,” Colton chided.
“I feel like there’s just so much to learn. I don’t even knowfor sure what I like and don’t like since I’m just trying a lot of things for the first time. The other day I learned how to put up wallpaper.”
“But a lady doesn’t usually have to do that for herself. You can hire someone to come and put the wallpaper up in your house. You would just pick out what you wanted them to put up and then let someone else do the work.”
