Five minutes later, Josie reached for her scissors. She cut the loose thread and sat back with a sly smirk on her face. “All done. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Travis rolled his eyes. “Sure. You just sewed through my skin like a cross-stitch board, and it was easy as pie.”
Josie opened a bottle of green ointment, rubbing it onto his palm. Tiny bits of herbs floated in the pulverized paste. After, she reached down, tearing another piece of her petticoat.
“Woah, woah, you don’t have to do that. We have rags everywhere.”
“I don’t mind,” Josie said, straightening the make-shift bandage onto the table. “I won’t be using this petticoat much longer anyway.”
Travis bit the inside of his cheek while Josie wrapped his hand.Much longer.December wasn’t far away, and even then, their lives could change in an instant. He could very well lose Josie just like he did Sophie. What if Josie’s past physicians toldher not to get pregnant? What if the cruel husband of hers did something to her that would complicate the delivery? Just the thought made his core tighten into a knot.
“Did you tell the children . . . about the baby?” Josie asked.
Travis looked up, hardly able to meet her gaze. “No, I figured we’d tell them together.”
Josie leaned forward, her eyes forcibly meeting his. “What will we tell them?”
Travis scratched the back of his neck.Lie. He was tired of it all; it seemed lying was all the family did since Josie came. She lied to him, he lied to the town, and now they’d lie to the children.
“We don’t say anything. They’re getting a baby sister or brother, and that’s the end of it. If they ask one day, we’ll explain, but for now, let them be innocent. We don’t need to confuse them.”
Josie nodded. “I agree.”
“Knock, knock!” Aunt Polly entered through the front door with Lillian, Jonas, and Ivy following behind her.
“Where’s the flapjacks?” Lillian asked, her nose wrinkling.
Josie stood, giggling softly. “I’ll start on them now.”
Aunt Polly studied the table, her forehead creased and her brows raised. She halted at Travis’s side, yanking up his hand. “My goodness, son. What happened to you?”
“He cut himself,” Josie explained, looking behind her as she pulled a small sack of flour from the chest beside the stove. “I stitched him up.”
Aunt Polly nodded at Josie. “I’m impressed. Did you use the ointment in the pantry?”
“I did.”
Lillian looked down at Travis’s hand with sad eyes. “Did you get cut?”
Travis smiled, patting his knee for her to sit. “I did get a cut, and Josie made it all better.”
Lillian settled in his lap, and Travis roved his gaze to Josie, who was mixing flour and milk into a wooden bowl. His throat tightened, words caught somewhere between what he needed to say and what he couldn’t bear to admit. He didn’t want it to be true. He longed for things to go back to how they were, when Josie’s only role was caring for the children, and he kept his distance, acting solely as the devoted father. He didn’t want to draw closer to Josie. He wanted his family to be together but not twisted and tangled. Having a child between the two would only complicate the matters—even if the child wasn’t his. How could he respect her now with her lies?
Faith. Just like Aunt Polly said. He’d give Josie another chance and take this baby as a blessing. The child deserved a loving family, and he had no doubt in his mind the children would love him or her.
“Josie and I have news,” Travis began, his voice steady, though his heart hammered against his ribs. “How would you three like to have another baby sister or brother?”
The children exchanged wide-eyed glances, their faces lighting up with a mix of shock and excitement.
“Pa, do you mean it?” Ivy asked, her lips parting into a smile.
“We do,” Josie replied softly, placing a floured hand on Ivy’s shoulder.
“Wow! Another brother!” Jonas exclaimed, his arms in the air. “I’m gonna have another brother!”
“No!” Lillian shouted from Travis’s lap, turning to him with a frown. “Can it be a sister, Pa? I want a sister.”
Travis chuckled, kissing the top of her head and patting her back. “That all depends on what God wants for us, sweetheart.”
“Then I’m gonna pray real hard, Pa,” Lillian declared, folding her hands and squeezing her eyes shut. “Please, God, gimme a baby sister.”
