Free The Lumberjack's Bride by Jean Kincaid

that.
    Julianne paused and stood perfectly still, listening intently for the sound that had pegged her attention. There it was again. A tinkling like that of a bell. She leaned into the window and squinted to see more clearly. The sound grew closer until she could make out two dark forms coming toward the house.
    Had the Indians returned? She scooped up Jonathan and held him close.
    â€œJulianne!” Caleb’s rich voice called to her.
    Julianne hurried out the door. She made out Caleb on his horse, and he was leading a cow toward the house. The moon crept from behind the clouds long enough for her to see a bell around the cow’s neck.
    â€œWhat do you think of her?” Caleb asked when he came even with the porch. He slid off his horse.
    Julianne cuddled the baby closer still. “I think it’s a cow.”
    â€œNot just any cow. This here is Maybell, and she’s our new milk cow.” Caleb patted the beast on the neck.
    â€œMaybell? You named her?” Julianne tilted her head to search Caleb’s face.
    His resonant laughter filled the night. Caleb led the horse and cow toward the barn. “No, I didn’t name her. The little son of the farmer I bought her from named her. The man assures me we can get at least three gallons of milk a day from her. What do you think of that?” He pushed the barn door open and led the animals inside.
    Julianne followed him into the barn.
    He closed the animals into separate stalls, unsaddled his horse and fed and watered them both.
    â€œCaleb?”
    He closed the stall door and turned to face her. “What’s wrong, honey?”
    The concern in his voice and the way he called her honey drew Julianne’s affection-deprived body to him. She fought an overwhelming need to be in his arms. Surely this all stemmed from the scare she’d had earlier. You couldn’t grow close to someone in less than a week. She heaved a sigh. She hated to disappoint him again, but she didn’t see how not to, so she blurted it out.
    â€œI don’t know how to milk a cow.” She tried to stop the trembling of her lower lip.
    Caleb put an arm around her shoulders and turned her toward the door. “Well, I do, and I’ll teach you.”
    â€œThank you.” Her appreciation sounded stiff and unnatural even to her own ears.
    * * *
    Caleb felt her pull away from him. He gently dropped his arm from her shoulders.
    â€œDinner is ready.” Her voice came out as a sigh of relief.
    It troubled him that she felt ill at ease in his presence. “I’ll get washed up.” He headed for the side of the house where the well stood.
    Pouring cold water into a basin, Caleb prayed. Lord, I can’t make this woman trust me, and I can’t make her like me either. I know I’m supposed to love her, but she’s making it awful hard when she shimmies away from me like a horse in a bed of rattlers. Please help us both to grow in your love. Amen. He finished his quick sponge bath and hurried into the house.
    As he entered the front door, Caleb remembered he’d promised to take her to the river to wash clothes. “I’m sorry, Julianne. I plumb forgot about taking you to the river.”
    She held Jonathan in one arm and served dinner with the other. “That’s okay, Caleb. I’m sure you have your reasons for being late.”
    Her tight voice and the way she clung to the baby expressed in more than words to Caleb that his new wife was unhappy with him. “We can go tomorrow, if you would like to. The boss gave me a couple of days off.” Caleb didn’t tell Julianne the foreman had given him the time off because he thought they needed a honeymoon.
    Julianne waited for him to bless the meal before answering. “That will be fine.”
    They ate in silence. Julianne continued to hold the baby long after he’d finished his bottle and gone to sleep. Caleb wasn’t sure what had gotten into her. The day