A Convenient Christmas Bride. Rhonda Gibson

happily and freely supply her basic needs for the rest of her life. Surely she’d understand that he’d already lost the love of his life and that he couldn’t risk losing another person that he loved that deeply.

      Would Anna Mae agree to such a proposition? The future looked so vague and shadowy. Why, he didn’t know what would take place in his own life, so how could he expect her to join up with him? He had a farm, yet wasn’t a farmer; he was a sheriff.

      But could he keep being a sheriff and possibly leave his daughters without a daddy? If he married Anna Mae, and something did happen to him, he knew she’d take care of the girls. Yes, the girls needed a mother. A stable woman they could depend on to take care of them. They needed Anna Mae.

       Chapter Five

      “How could I have been so stupid?” Anna Mae folded another dress and placed it in her satchel. She might as well get this over with; there was no way she could survive another smirch against her character. If she left before the entire town knew, which should be in about an hour, give or take a few minutes, she’d avoid the pitying glances and censuring looks.

      She plopped down on the bed, a green shawl clutched in her hands. How could this keep happening to her? It would be different if she engaged in bad behavior. But she didn’t; never had, never planned to.

      All her loneliness and confusion welded together in one upsurge of yearning, and she bent over, her hands clutched against her stomach, a groan pushing through her gritted teeth. Would she ever belong? She thought she’d found a place to call home, but now she’d have to move on.

      Without warning, Emily Jane rushed through her door and knelt in front of her. “Oh, Anna Mae, I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry.”

      Anna Mae collapsed into her friend’s arms, yielding to the compulsive sobs that shook her. She wept aloud, as Emily Jane rocked her back and forth.

      Little by little Anna Mae gained control of her emotions, and with a hiccup or two accepted a hanky from Emily Jane. She mopped up her face, but the compassionate, caring look in her friend’s eyes almost undid her all over again.

      “Why are you packing, Anna Mae?” Emily Jane spoke in an odd, yet gentle voice, as if she were afraid she’d cause the waterworks to start again. “We’re not letting you leave. Why, where would you go?” Emily Jane’s eyes grew large and liquid. “I couldn’t bear it if you weren’t around to talk to. We’ve lived together since we both arrived here.” She took one of the dresses from the valise and hung it back on the hanger. “Plus, I need you around so my baby will have an aunt to spoil it rotten and let it do things that as its mother I can’t.” She rubbed her rounded belly and offered a genuine smile.

      “How can I stay, Emily Jane? Everyone thinks the worst of me.” Anna Mae shivered, uncertain if it was from the fear taking root in her heart or from the cold that crept through the window.

      Emily Jane lifted the shawl off the bed where it had fallen during their embrace, and wrapped it around Anna Mae’s shoulders. “Come. Let’s get out of this cold room and go sit in the dining room.” She turned her toward the door with a slight nudge.

      Moments later, a sigh shuddered through Anna Mae as she took a deep drink of her cream-and-sugar-laden hot coffee. “I can’t believe I acted so stupidly and placed my employment in jeopardy.”

      “It wasn’t stupid to want to help one of your students,” Emily Jane said, patting her hand in comfort.

      Anna Mae looked about the room. Thankfully, the noon lunch rush hadn’t begun and she and Emily Jane were the only occupants. “Thank you, Emily Jane, but I knew better than to believe a student as mischievous as Bart.”

      “Then why did you go with him?”

      Anna Mae’s breath caught in her throat and tears filled her eyes again. Did Emily Jane realize her voice sounded accusatory?

      “No, no. Don’t look at me like that. I meant, was there a reason beyond what you’ve said so far? Did he act scared or was he crying?”

      Anna Mae thought back to the day Bart had lured her into the woods with his lie. Maybe she had still wanted to help him, to win him over. She didn’t know. Her stomach growled and she wished suddenly she’d taken Emily Jane up on her offer of cake. It was probably for the best. Anna Mae didn’t think she’d be able to get food down her tight throat, anyway.

      “Anna Mae?” Emily Jane’s voice was infinitely compassionate, but probing, snatching Anna Mae back to reality. She realized she’d been quiet for too long.

      “Oh, I’m sorry. I went because he seemed so upset and he rushed me so that I didn’t take the time to think it through. If I had, I would have realized that he was lying.” She took another sip of coffee, the sweet taste mingling with the sourness in her stomach. “Well, it can’t be helped now.”

      “What are you going to do?” Emily Jane nibbled on the applesauce cake she’d ordered.

      Anna Mae set her cup down. “There’s nothing else for it, Emily Jane. I’ll have to leave town.”

      “But why?” Her friend dropped her fork, creating a clatter that sounded loudly in the room. “I don’t understand that way of thinking. Why would you leave town?” She scrambled to retrieve her fork.

      “I have no job, and as soon as word gets out that I spent two weeks out at the Miller farm, my reputation will be ruined.” Fresh sorrow filled her at the truth of her words. “I have to leave.” Her sense of loss was beyond tears. Everything had been going well. She’d had a job, a home and friends.

      Emily Jane shook her head. She lowered her voice so that the few people who had filtered into the dining room wouldn’t hear her. “The only ones who will think ill of you are the ladies who are jealous of you, like Mrs. Bradshaw. Why don’t you give it a few days and see what happens? I’ll check with William and see if I have enough money to hire you to work at the bakery. I’m sure I’ll need the extra help with the arrival of our new baby.” She rested her hands protectively around her rounded tummy with a small grin.

      “Thank you, dear friend, but I can’t ask you to create a job for me. I love you for wanting to, but I can’t accept it.”

      A pair of boot tips appeared in her line of vision and then a man cleared his throat. Anna Mae looked up to find Josiah standing beside the table. She took a quick sharp breath. What was he doing back at the boardinghouse? Had he come to tell her what the doctor had said about Rose’s ear?

      “Ladies, mind if I join you?” He twisted his hat in his hands as he waited for an answer.

      Emily Jane responded first. “Of course, please do.” She indicated he should take the seat between them.

      Beth Winters hurried over to take his order. “What would you like, Sheriff?”

      He pulled the chair out and sat down. “Coffee and a piece of whatever kind of cake my sister-in-law is having.”

      She nodded and hurried off to get them.

      Anna Mae nervously fingered the handle of her cup. Where were the twins? Didn’t he know it would add fuel to the fodder if they were seen together?

      “Where are the girls?” Emily Jane asked.

      He hung his hat on the back of his chair. “I left them with Carolyn Moore for a few minutes.”

      “Did you take Rose to the doctor?” Anna Mae asked, drawing his attention back to her.

      “Yep. He said her ear is a little red and to put a few drops of oil in it this evening before putting her down for the night.” He grinned at Anna Mae.

      As their eyes met the tenderness in his expression amazed her. But there was something more. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he almost seemed pleased with himself; as if he’d just confirmed something that had been on his