Two hours later, Jenny was working on a baby gown for one of the better well-to-do new mothers in town when a loud rapping at the door made her bolt in surprise. She accidently pricked her finger with the needle. ―Ouch.‖ She sucked on her finger and set aside the thimble and clothing so she could answer the door. Jeremy got up from where he was playing with his toys and followed her. Jenny‘s heart raced at the rapid pounding at the door. Did something happen to Owen or one of her siblings? There was no denying that whoever was on the other end considered their visit to be an emergency. ―Who is it, Ma?‖ ―I don‘t know, honey.‖ She could have checked through the window, but she didn‘t want to waste the extra couple of seconds that it would require. She opened the door and gasped when she saw Clyde‘s mother standing in front of her with a scowl on her face. ―My son is not a killer!‖ the woman yelled before Jenny could speak. Jenny wasn‘t sure she heard right.

Jenny bit her lower lip as she studied the parlor. If this didn‘t peak Rick‘s romantic interest, then he was a lost cause. She spent that entire Saturday getting everything ready for the special supper. The lacy white curtains were drawn to give the room a private feel to it, and she had set out the matching tablecloth. She made both years ago when she thought she‘d marry Clyde. Was she ever glad she ended up with Owen instead! She hummed as she lit the two candles. She dimmed the kerosene lamp and smiled. Though she had no flowers, she arrange some colorful leaves in the center of the table and placed a pinecone on top of it. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet scent, which was almost masked by the pot roast that was cooling in the oven. She opened her eyes and set the cushions on the chairs so they‘d be comfortable. Then she stepped back and examined the effect of the candlelight. It seemed magical to be in here. She clapped her hands and nearly skipped out of the

Jenny scanned the crowd of people the next morning. She didn‘t want to go into the church until she saw Sally. But Sally wasn‘t anywhere, and that wasn‘t like her sister. She couldn‘t even focus on what her brothers were telling Owen...or what Jessica and Mary were talking about. An uneasy feeling swelled in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps she should have run after her sister last night. But then she wouldn‘t have taken care of Owen and then... She blushed. She didn‘t know lovemaking could involve such bliss. She glanced at him, recalling the way his hands and mouth felt on her skin. Her body tingled from the memory. She couldn‘t wait to be alone with him again. ―Jenny?‖ Someone nudged her in the side. She jumped back and cleared her throat. She realized that Mary and Jessica were staring at her. ―What?‖ she asked, hoping they didn‘t detect what she‘d been thinking about. ―Sally‘s here,‖ Mary said. ―You wanted us to tell you if we saw her.‖ Jenny looked in th

Jenny grabbed her broom. ―Stay here,‖ she told Jeremy who was eating at the kitchen table. She looked back out the window. She didn‘t know whether to be angry or afraid. Why was Clyde coming out to see her? Was it because Owen arrested him? Glancing over her shoulder to make sure her son was still at the table, she put her coat on and stormed onto the porch. He got off his horse. When he looked in her direction, he didn‘t seem concerned by the fact that she was ready to whack him with the broom if he got too close. ―Hi there, Jenny.‖ ―Get away from here,‖ she snapped. He sauntered over to the bottom step of the porch and stopped just two inches shy of her being able to hit him with the broom. Placing his hands on his hips, he tilted his head up so he could make eye contact. ―I want my son.‖ ―He‘s not your son.‖ She tightened her grip on the broom handle and got ready to strike if needed. ―That‘s not what you told me five years ago.‖ She gritted her teeth.

Jenny didn‘t feel like dealing with anyone at the moment. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, and her relatives weren‘t helping. Her brothers and Sally sat around the kitchen table trying to decide what to do about the situation while Greg, Jeremy, and Isaac played with the dog in the backyard. Mary stayed out there to watch them from where she sat in the chair next to the house. Maybe Jenny shouldn‘t have come to Sally‘s house after they left the jail. Maybe she should have just gone home. She watched the children as they laughed and took turns throwing the ball for the dog to catch. It was simple for them. Children didn‘t sit and analyze things. They either liked something or they didn‘t, and they acted accordingly. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window. Her hand fell to her abdomen. She should‘ve realized it sooner, but she and Owen had stayed up well into the night to enjoy lovemaking. The fatigue was ea