The Gift of Twins Read online

  “Your boots are impractical for this weather, as well,” he said.

  “I can’t possibly wear your boots.” His feet were much larger than hers.

  “I suppose you can’t.” He looked at her, the smile returning to his eyes. “I can hardly see you under all that gear.”

  She felt ridiculous, but she appreciated the added protection against the cold and snow.

  He lifted her bag. “We’ll go out the back door.”

  She followed him through the parlor, tripping over the buffalo robe, and entered the kitchen. He glanced out the window, squinting as he looked uncertain. “I hate to take you into this storm—but we have little choice.” He turned to study her. “You’ll need to hold my hand at all times. I’m familiar with the trek to Abram and Charlotte’s, so I’ll rely on my instincts. If, for some reason we’re separated, don’t move. Stay where you are and I’ll find you.”

  Apprehension wound its way around Emmy’s heart as she thought of the consequences of being lost in a blizzard. She simply nodded, thankful that he seemed so confident—but wondering if she could trust his instincts.

  He opened the door and then reached his hand toward her.

  She took it without hesitation and followed him into the storm. The wind bit at the exposed skin of her cheeks and nose. It stole her breath with its intensity and she clung to Reverend Lahaye’s hand with all her might. Somehow, it was even worse now than it had been when the stagecoach dropped her off.

  He closed the door and then bent into the storm, tugging her along with him.

  The snow whipped about them in every conceivable direction. She didn’t know if it was coming or going. Though she held his hand, she could hardly make out his shape in front of her and it hurt to look into the swirling wind and snow.

  There was no sunshine to mark the way—just darkness and bitter cold wind.

  They didn’t go more than ten yards before Reverend Lahaye stopped and she bumped into his back. She didn’t dare move as he turned to face her. He bent forward and spoke, but she couldn’t make out his words in the howling wind.

  He didn’t move and she feared they were lost. Panic began to creep up her legs. It hit her heart with a thud, making her want to run—yet she didn’t dare.

  Again, he leaned forward and spoke into her ear, but she couldn’t hear. What was wrong? Why had they stopped?

  Finally, he tugged on her hand again—but if they were going forward or backward, she didn’t know. It was impossible to know anything.

  They didn’t walk very far when she made out the shape of a building and he stepped through an open door.

  When she followed, and her eyes adjusted, she realized they were back in his kitchen.

  He shoved the door closed against the raging wind, breathing hard. “It’s madness out there.”

  Emmy swallowed hard, trying to catch her breath, her fingers and toes numb. “Why are we back?”

  He shook his head and took off his cap and mittens. “We would never have made it alive. We could have very well ended up in the river, or wandered out of town. I didn’t know my right from my left out there.” His eyes filled with concern. “I’m sorry, Miss Wilkes. I couldn’t risk your safety. We’ll have to stay here for the night.”

  Emmy stood motionless in the buffalo robe, the reality of their situation hitting her. “I must choose between my safety or my reputation?”

  He took a step away from her, as if sensing her dismay and put some space between them. “We can try again in the morning when there is a bit of sun. Maybe the storm will cease by then.” He went to the stove and put more wood inside. “Are you hungry? I can make you some flapjacks and sausage.”

  She hadn’t eaten since lunch, but she didn’t think she could swallow a bite now. “Where shall I sleep?” If she’d sleep at all.

  “There are two bedrooms upstairs. I had one prepared for Mr. Wil—” He paused. “You should be comfortable there. I’ll sleep in my room down here.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip. Would sleeping unchaperoned in the pastor’s house make it more difficult to convince the superintendent to let her stay? What would the community say? It was vital that they think highly of her.

  “I’m sure everyone will understand.” He put an iron skillet on the stove and gave her a reassuring smile, as if he could read her thoughts. “This is a small community, but no one would fault us for staying safe. I’ll explain everything.”

  Emmy wasn’t so sure, but what choice did they have? They were stuck in the parsonage until the storm subsided.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, Ben stood near the cast-iron stove scrambling eggs for breakfast. Snow and ice blew against the house with a vengeance, as if winter was shaking its angry fist at the world, daring it to lay dormant. He’d never seen a blizzard so early, and it didn’t bode well for the lonely months ahead.

  A floorboard creaked and Ben turned to find Miss Wilkes fidgeting uncomfortably in the doorway. In the light of day, he found her to be even prettier than he’d first thought by the glow of the lantern. Her blond hair was twisted in a becoming knot, with tendrils curling around her face. Blue eyes, the color of wild forget-me-nots under a warm prairie sun were fringed with those long lashes, and she had the tiniest waist he’d ever seen. She didn’t look as young and defenseless as he’d first thought, either. He guessed her to be twenty-three or twenty-four, though she carried herself as if she had a fair share of life already behind her.

  “Good morning,” Ben said as he nodded to the table. “I’ll have some eggs for you in a minute. Help yourself to bread and jam. The coffee’s hot.”

  She took a tentative step into the kitchen as if afraid of being in the same room alone with him. Last night, they’d gone to their bedrooms immediately after they ate their flapjacks. It had been awkward and she’d fled the moment he’d said good-night. He didn’t blame her. It was a difficult situation she’d found herself in, but he’d do all he could to protect her reputation.

  “Will I find a more suitable place to stay this morning?” she asked as she picked up a mug and filled it with coffee. “I’d also like to see the superintendent as soon as possible.”

  Ben glanced out the window, but all he could see was snow and more snow. “I think the storm is worse today than last night.” He shook his head. “I don’t feel right about taking you out there again. At least not now. We’ll go later, if it lets up.”

  She sighed and set the coffeepot back on the stove. “I suppose the damage is already done.”

  Ben put the eggs on the table and motioned for her to take a seat. He also sat and then he bowed his head. “For this meal, and our lives, Lord, we are eternally grateful. Amen.”

  “Amen,” she echoed.

  Ben dished up her plate and she took a piece of bread and lathered it with strawberry jam. There was so much he’d like to know about her. He was always fascinated when a young lady braved the frontier and set out on her own—this one especially. She seemed so vulnerable, yet he suspected there was steel-like determination under that delicate exterior.

  She glanced up at him. “Thank you for your hospitality. I’m sure this isn’t what you expected, either.”

  He laughed. “I was definitely expecting Mr. Wilkes.”

  She smiled, revealing a row of beautiful white teeth. “Do you take in many boarders?”

  “He would have been my first.”

  She laughed, and the sound was the merriest thing he’d ever heard. “He doesn’t exist.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Ben scooped some eggs onto his own plate. “I was looking forward to a roommate for the winter months. I used to be a circuit preacher and I would go from home to home, rarely alone for more than a night or two. Before that, I lived at three different missions, which were always busy with people coming and going. It�
�s been a hard transition to living alone.”

  Miss Wilkes studied him with unabashed curiosity. “You’re a very interesting man, Reverend Lahaye. I’d like to hear more about your life and travels one day.”

  He didn’t mind her honest assessment. Welcomed it, actually. “Feel free to call me Ben.”

  She lifted her eyebrows and took a sip of her coffee. “I hardly know you.”

  “I don’t sit on pretenses or eastern manners,” Ben said. “Life’s too hard and too short to worry about all that.”

  She set her mug down, sadness filling her countenance. “Life is too short.”

  What had this young lady experienced that would sit so heavily upon her? He had always been good at reading people, and he could sense she had a great deal of pain in her past.

  She pulled herself from the sadness and squared her shoulders. “I suppose you should call me Emmy, then, since I intend to stay.”

  Ben paused as he spread his jam over his bread. “I have it on good authority that the superintendent will send you home on Monday.”

  “And I have it on good authority that I won’t let him.”

  He liked her willpower, even if it was misguided. “The school board wants a man.”

  “Don’t you need a teacher? At least while you look for a man? Why not give me a chance?” Her eyes filled with such passion, he couldn’t look away, even if he wanted to. “Allow me to prove to you that I am here to stay. I want this job more than anything—and I assure you, I have no intentions on marrying now or in the future.”

  What a pity. It wasn’t hard to imagine her in a snug home, surrounded by children.

  “As a school board member,” Emmy continued, unaware of Ben’s wayward thoughts, “could you speak on my behalf? I promise you won’t regret keeping me in Little Falls.”

  It wouldn’t take long for suitors to come calling on Emmy Wilkes—despite her declaration to remain single. It would be impossible to keep the men away. But didn’t they owe her the benefit of the doubt? “I will do what I can to help.”

  She let out a relieved sigh. “I’m in your debt.”

  A knock at the front door brought both their heads up.

  “Who would brave this storm?” Ben wiped his mouth and looked out the window. Sure enough, the wind had finally calmed and the snow lessened so he could actually see his backyard again. He had hardly noticed as he spoke to Emmy.

  Should he invite her to join him in the front room? The last thing he wanted was a neighbor to see them alone together—yet, he didn’t want to hide her and lie. Everyone would eventually know.

  “Would you care to join me?” he asked.

  She also wiped her lips, but shook her head. “I’ll stay here and finish my breakfast.”

  He left the kitchen, being sure to close the door behind him, and entered the front room.

  The knock came again, this time with more force.

  Ben pulled the door open and found Mr. Samuelson on his front porch.

  “Ahh, Reverend Lahaye.” Mr. Samuelson walked into Ben’s house without invitation and clapped his mitted hands together. “Is Mr. Wilkes here? Did he arrive safely?”

  “Come in, Mr. Samuelson.” Ben closed the door behind him, glancing toward the kitchen. The superintendent lived about two blocks east of Ben. He was a widower with five children, though his two oldest daughters were old enough to see to the needs of the younger ones.

  “I came the moment the snow started to let up a bit.” Mr. Samuelson’s dark eyebrows were caked with ice. “I wanted to meet the man who will teach my children.”

  Ben was uncertain how he should proceed. No matter what he said, it would still come as a shock to Mr. Samuelson, and there would be no way around the truth.

  The kitchen door squeaked open and Emmy spared Ben the discomfort of deciding.

  She stepped out with confidence and grace. “I’m afraid there’s been a mistake, Mr. Samuelson.”

  Dennis Samuelson spun on his heels at the sound of the lady’s voice.

  Emmy walked across the front room and extended her hand. “I am Miss Emery Wilkes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Dennis didn’t move a muscle to welcome the new teacher.

  Ben squared his shoulders, ready to fight on Emmy’s behalf. They had made the mistake in hiring her, and they owed her a chance to prove them wrong.

  * * *

  The superintendent stared at Emmy much longer than she felt necessary.

  Ben came to stand beside Mr. Samuelson, though his gaze was on her. “As Miss Wilkes said, there’s been a mistake.”

  Mr. Samuelson stood in all his outdoor gear, mouth and nose covered by a thick scarf. Emmy was only able to see his hazel eyes as he took her in, head to foot. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  “Apparently, you thought I was a man.”

  “Of course we thought you were a man. Your name is Emery, is it not?”

  “She was named after her maternal grandfather,” Ben told the superintendent.

  He’d remembered that little detail?

  “I don’t care if she was named after the president of the United States.” Mr. Samuelson unwrapped his scarf with more force than necessary. “We don’t want another female.”

  “I realize that,” Ben said, coming to her defense. “But what’s done is done.”

  “It must be undone.” Mr. Samuelson was younger than Emmy first thought, now that she could see the rest of his face. He was a pleasant-looking fellow, though his face was contorted in anger. “She’ll have to go back posthaste.”

  Emmy took a step forward, unwilling to let these two men determine her future without some say in the matter. “I came in good faith that a job would be waiting for me. I’m not returning home until I fulfill the contract.”

  “She’s right, Dennis.” Ben put his hands in his pockets and nodded in her direction. “She came because we hired her—”

  “We didn’t hire her.” Mr. Samuelson motioned toward her like she was a pesky fly. “We were expecting him.”

  “I realize you’re upset,” Emmy said. “But you have to understand how I feel.” It had been five years since William died, and it had taken her that long to get the courage to fulfill their dream to come west. She couldn’t let one little mistake send her back. “Reverend Lahaye explained to me why you’re seeking a male teacher—and I’ve assured him you have no fear of losing me. I don’t plan to marry, nor will I in the future. I am committed to staying in Little Falls as long as the Lord sees fit.” She smiled and added quickly, “Which I hope is a long, long time.”

  Both men studied her. Mr. Samuelson with a calculating, unhappy look, and Ben with an approving, tender one.

  “I suggest we let her stay on at least until we can find a replacement,” Ben suggested. “We did guarantee her a contract for the first term, which ends at Christmas. Surely she’ll stay unmarried until then.”

  Mr. Samuelson crossed his arms and let out a discontented grunt. “I thought we were done with looking for a teacher once and for all.”

  Emmy offered up a silent prayer, hoping her journey was not over before it had begun. She wanted desperately to stay and serve the children and families of Little Falls. It was all she had thought about this past month after she’d received the acceptance letter. She had fought so hard to come on her own, defying her parents’ wishes, her friends’ concerns, and putting up with the tittle-tattle of neighbors who thought she was ruining her life. She couldn’t return now, not like this.

  “Fine,” Mr. Samuelson said. “She can stay—but only until Christmas. In the meantime, I will continue searching for a male teacher and have him ready to take her place the first of the year.”

  Emmy let out the breath she’d been holding. It wasn’t what she’d hoped for, but it was a start. “If I can
prove to you that you have nothing to fear, and that I have no intentions on ever marrying, will you allow me to stay?”

  Mr. Samuelson squinted at her. “How would you prove that?”

  “On Christmas Day, if I have made myself invaluable to the school and community, and I’ve shown myself above reproach, will you allow me to stay?”

  Mr. Samuelson looked at Ben, who stared back at him without expression.

  The superintendent threw his hands in the air. “Fine. But I’m warning you, Miss Wilkes—” he pointed at her, his finger shaking “—I will watch you closely, and if I see even a hint of romance, I will immediately terminate your contract and find a new teacher. Do I make myself clear?”

  Hope bubbled in Emmy’s chest for the first time since her arrival. She had no doubt she’d prove herself to the superintendent. No doubt at all. “You’ve made yourself clear.”

  “Now.” Mr. Samuelson turned to Ben. “Where is she staying?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  Mr. Samuelson eyes grew wide as he swung around to face Emmy. “Where did you stay last night, Miss Wilkes?”

  “She stayed here,” Ben said quickly. “We tried to go to the Coopers, but I turned back, knowing it would have put her life in jeopardy if we had continued.”

  “Here? Unchaperoned?” Mr. Samuelson’s face filled with disapproval.

  “There was nothing untoward about last night,” Ben said with authority in his voice. “Neither one of us expected the mistake and we did our best to rectify it. Miss Wilkes slept upstairs, while I slept down. I hope my character and reputation will speak for itself.”

  Mr. Samuelson balled his scarf in one hand. “I don’t like it, but what’s done is done.” He addressed Emmy. “It is your upmost priority to ensure that your reputation stays untarnished, do you understand?”

  “Of course.” Her reputation meant more to her than almost anything.

  “I want you to bring her to the Hubbards immediately,” Mr. Samuelson said to Ben. “It’ll be cheaper to board her with the Hubbards than pay full price at the hotel, and her meals will be included.”