An Angel in the Mail Read online

  “Oatmeal. It’s pretty hard to mess up.”

  “Well, I am trying, you know.” She snapped back.

  Given his frame of mind, he decided to let it go, although he should have apologized. God, it was hard to be in the same room with her, day after day, and not touch her the way he wanted to. If he didn’t get relief soon, he would probably be a cripple.

  With them working together, they got a decent meal on the table, and soon said goodbye to the Belfords. The boys followed them out the door, off to school. Nate disappeared for a while, leaving Angel to clean up from breakfast and get Julia-Rose ready for the day.

  Out of breath, Nate hurried in the front door. “Angel, there’s a Mrs. Murphy three houses down. She’ll watch Julia-Rose, Luke, and John when you go to town to see Dr. Penrose today.”

  “Why?” Angel stopped in the middle of wiping the table.

  “I think it will be easier to see the doctor with them out of the way.” He snapped his fingers as if a thought occurred. “In fact, I’ll pick you up in the buggy, and drive you there. We can drop them off before we leave.”

  Angel stared at him for a minute, frowning. “I guess it would be easier without the children. Are you sure she won’t mind?”

  “Not at all. She’s taken care of them for me before, when Mrs. Darby wasn’t available.”

  He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and headed for the door. “I’ll be back around noon, but don’t eat. We’ll have a meal in town.”

  Angel glanced worriedly at the clock. Nate should be home any minute and she could not find Julia-Rose. The baby had been sound asleep in her cot when Angel took the time to wash up and change her dress. When she went to fetch the child, the bed was empty. She had checked all her usual hiding places, to no avail.

  “John, can you and Luke come here, please?” Her voice trembled as she called from the door to the boys who played in the yard.

  “You need to do me a favor.” Both boys looked at her excitedly, ready to help the only adult who always seemed to need them.

  “Um, Julia-Rose was taking a nap, and now she’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find her.” She twisted her hands and tried to calm her heart. I can’t believe I’m telling my problem to five-year-olds. Worse, I’m hoping they can solve it. I’ve sunk so low.

  “Oh, I know where she is,” Luke said, smiling. “She likes to hide in the cabinet in the washroom.”

  Angel flew to the back of the house, and, sure enough, a giggling Julia-Rose had wedged herself in the corner of the cabinet. In her frantic search, Angel had only quickly checked the room. Of course, if the laundry hadn’t been piled so high, I might have thought to look there.

  Feeling lightheaded at finally finding the child, she sat on the floor to put her head between her knees.

  “But how did she get here?” Her voice rasped.

  “She can crawl.”

  “Oh.” Angel let out a breath. Nathan may excuse a lot of her shortcomings, but losing one of his children was most likely not one of them.

  Julia-Rose giggled and crawled to her. “Mama.” Angel burst into tears and hugged the soft body. She buried her head in the little girl’s sweet smelling hair. How she’d grown to love this little one. The twins stood together, as always clutching each other’s hands, their eyes wide. Angel put her arm out and they ran to her, settled on her lap, along with Julia-Rose.

  Luke patted her back. “Don’t cry, Angel, Julia-Rose’s here.”

  She cried harder, and hugged them all to her chest, smothering their soft hair with kisses.

  She had the three children cleaned, and ready to go, when a buggy stopped out front. A quick glance at the window assured her it was Nate, so she hustled them all out the door. She still didn’t understand why Nate felt it was necessary to drive her to the doctor. Even though it was a bit of a walk, with the lovely weather, and the children at the neighbor’s house, walking by herself would have been pleasant.

  Nate jumped from the buggy, took Julia-Rose out of her arms, and grasping Angel’s hand, led them all down the street to Mrs. Murphy’s house. The green and white clapboard house reminded Angel of the little dollhouse she’d discovered in the attic. Mrs. Murphy had planted beautiful rows of wildflowers along the front of the porch. Two wooden rocking chairs with green cushions sat on either side of the door. White lace curtains fluttered from the open windows. I would love to make my house look like this.

  Mrs. Murphy greeted them with a warm smile. She appeared to be much younger than Angel had expected, maybe only a few years her senior. She seemed happy to see the family.

  She reached for Julia-Rose, her eyes bright. “Come here, sweet pea, I’m so happy to have you today.”

  Nate put his arm around Angel’s shoulder. “This is my wife, Angel.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Hale.” Mrs. Murphy was diminutive. Tiny hands, feet, and body. But her smile filled her face.

  “Oh, you make me sound old. Call me Angel, please.”

  “And you must call me Alice.” She kissed Julia-Rose on the head. “I love taking care of her.” She tickled the baby under her chin, who giggled, and then drooled on her dress. “It gives me practice.” She smiled and patted her belly.

  There was nothing showing there, but since Angel assumed the woman meant she was expecting, she murmured, “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. We’re very excited.” Alice stepped back so the boys could enter the house. “We’ll all be fine. I’ll see you later.”

  Nate remained quiet on the ride to Dr. Penrose’s office. Angel sat back and enjoyed the sun and light breeze. As they approached the town, the bustle of businesses came into view. Storekeepers loaded packages and boxes into wagons. Women, with shopping bags over their arms and small children trailing behind them, hurried from store to store. It seemed so long ago that she rode on this very street in the stagecoach, scared to death. Now she felt quite comfortable in this small town.

  Even though her ribs had still been wrapped, the whole family made it to church last Sunday, and she had been introduced to several people in the congregation. She really enjoyed the service, and Pastor Dunn was warmly welcoming. Although he’d married them, she’d been so tired and sick at the time, she hadn’t really noticed what a pleasant man he was. Mrs. Dunn stood alongside him when they left the church, and also greeted her kindly.

  Her attention returned to Nate as he stopped the buggy in front of a small house.

  “This is Dr. Penrose’s home and office.” He swung down and helped Angel out. “Many times I made a late night race here when one of the kids was sick.” He chuckled. “The doc’s wife is always welcoming. No matter what time of the day or night.”

  After helping her down, they took the few steps to the porch. Apparently Mrs. Penrose had seen them arrive, because she already had the door open when they reached the top of the stairs.

  “Nate, is this your new wife?” The older woman beamed at them.

  “Yes, Mrs. Penrose. This is my wife, Angel.”

  “I’m so pleased to meet you, dear.” She gave Angel a hug, and then held her at arm’s length. “You must make time to come for tea one day.”

  “That would be nice, but the children . . .”

  Mrs. Penrose waved her hand. “No matter, bring the little ones with you. I have seven grandchildren I never see. I’m dying to bake cookies for someone besides the doctor and me.” She pointed to her round stomach. “We certainly don’t need them.” Her laugh was melodious, and Angel liked her immediately.

  Dr. Penrose stood as they entered his office, rubbing his spectacles with a handkerchief. Stacks of books and papers filled the room. Angel glanced at the two chairs, also loaded down. It would be a challenge to find anything here.

  “Come on in to my examining room.” He motioned to the
doorway behind his desk. “How have you been feeling?”

  Angel and Nate followed him into a small room with an examining table, and jars and bottles lining the walls. A stack of clean cloths sat on a counter, along with a container of bandages. The room was much more orderly than the office, making her wonder if his wife took care of this part of the office.

  “I feel a lot better, thank you. I’m still a little sore when I move too suddenly, but otherwise I’m okay.”

  “You haven’t been doing too much, have you?” The doctor studied her as he unwrapped her bindings. No stripping down this time, though. He opened her dress, and reached around to complete the task.

  “No, the boys have been helping a lot.” Angel re-buttoned her bodice as the doctor laid the wrappings aside.

  The doctor poked and prodded, glancing over the top of his spectacles at Angel’s reactions. “Well, Mrs. Hale, I declare you fit. Just continue to take it a little easy for a while, but otherwise, you can resume normal activities.”

  They said their goodbyes to Mrs. Penrose, with Angel promising to bring the children for a visit. A short time later they were back in the buggy. Arms bent at the elbows, Angel swung from side to side, relishing the freedom with no bindings. Heat rose in her cheeks when Nate’s eyes shifted to her breasts, loose for the first time in over a week.

  She grabbed the bench with one hand, and her hat with the other as he slapped the horse, and the buggy sped up. Her husband’s lips were set in a grim line, and sweat beaded his forehead.

  Well, I wonder what I did wrong this time?

  Nate parked the buggy in front of the hotel, and they entered the dining room. With Nate’s hand pressed firmly to her lower back, he steered her past several people he acknowledged, stopping every once in a while to introduce her. Each time she met someone new, she felt more welcome.

  The smell from roast beef, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and biscuits on most diners’ plates made her stomach growl. It was so good to eat a meal she hadn’t struggled over. She’d never appreciated all the years everything had been done for her. Still, she experienced a certain amount of satisfaction in doing things for herself. She grinned. And her family.

  Less than an hour later, the only thing keeping her from enjoying her dessert of dried apple pie and coffee, was the way Nate kept drumming his fingers on the table. He seemed terribly jumpy.

  “Everything all right?” Angel asked, her hand covering the strong fingers that tapped relentlessly on the table.

  “Just fine.” He flashed a quick smile, and taking a final gulp of his coffee, slid his chair back. “Are you ready?”

  Angel nodded as she wiped her mouth with the napkin. Before she could place it on the table, he jumped up, pulled her chair out so fast he almost dumped her on the floor. As they left the dining room, Nate put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the front desk in the hotel area.

  A small, dark haired man stood behind the desk, leaning over a spread-out newspaper. He glanced up as they approached. “Hey, Nate, long time no see. How’s the family?”

  “Great.” He barely got the word out before he continued. “Ernest, my wife is feeling poorly. Headache, you know. I wonder if we could have a room for a couple hours so she can rest away from the noise of the children?”

  Her head whipped around as she turned in surprise to listen to Nate tell this bold-faced lie. What was he up to?

  The man smiled and extended his hand. “I heard you got married. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Nate nodded. “The key?”

  “Oh, sure thing, Nate. I imagine things are a little noisy out at your place. We usually have an open room in the afternoon.” He nodded at them both. “Room Twelve,” he added as he handed them a key, and went back to his reading.

  Nate brought his finger to his lips when she started to ask a question, and hurried her upstairs to room twelve. He unlocked the door, hustled her through, and turned the lock.

  “What in heaven’s name was that all about?”

  He turned her and cupped her face in his hands, and leaned down to cover her mouth with his. After a few moments, he pulled away, and removed her hat. “Lord, woman, I had to get you away from that house before another interruption.”

  Angel’s body flushed when she realized what he meant. Her heart sped up as she put her arms around his waist and leaned into him. Feeling her response, he kissed her once more, tilting her head. He ran his tongue over her closed lips, and she opened. He forged ahead, touching, tasting. Shyly, she parried with him, using her tongue as he had. He groaned, and moved his hand to cup her breast, kneading the flesh, sending jolts to her middle.

  Oh, my.

  Her knees grew weak. In the time they had been married, their kisses had progressed from something light to demanding, but nothing like this. Her nipples hardened, taking her breath away. Using his thumb, Nate rubbed over one swelling tip, and moaned at the sigh that escaped her lips. He put his arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

  He pulled his mouth away, leaving her feeling abandoned. Staring in her eyes, he reached up and removed the hairpins from her bun until the brown waves cascaded down her back, and over the front of her dress.

  She attempted to pull him back again, but he stopped her by opening the buttons on her dress. Slowly, he pushed it off her shoulders, and stared at her chemise, soft white cotton with small pink rosebuds across the top.

  Her body was on fire. She slid her hands up his chest, feeling his muscles ripple as he ran his hands over her back. He lowered his head, and splaying his palms across her back to anchor her, began to suckle her breast through the chemise. If he let her go, she would surely melt in a puddle at his feet.

  He nibbled at the stiff peak until she moved her head back and forth, and funny little noises rose from her throat. Slowly, he walked her backwards until the back of her legs hit the bed. He pulled down the straps on her chemise.

  Since Nate had caught her by surprise, she’d had no time to work up anxiety. The feelings he created washed over her in waves. Parts of her body throbbed that she hadn’t even known existed.

  Nibbling at her mouth, he grasped her dress, bunching it at her waist. With both hands he pushed it down along with her drawers and petticoat. She stood naked except for her stockings and shoes.

  “My God, you’re beautiful.” His gaze skimmed her. He ran his hands down her sides, noting the indentation at her waist, and the gentle flare of her hips. His hands traveled over her thighs, and back up, running his fingers through the brown curls at the juncture of her legs.

  Angel pulled him to her, searching for his lips, urging him to open as he’d done to her. Blood roared through his body and settled in his manhood. Somewhere in his lust-crazed brain, he remembered he bedded a virgin, and needed to go slowly. Although, given her responses, she was no reluctant virgin; maybe untried, but certainly responsive.

  He teased the soft skin under her ear with kisses and nibbles, while his hand roamed over her sweet body, plucking her nipples, then moving to cup her femininity.

  Angel fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. He helped her take it off, and rubbed his skin against her bare breasts, all the while kissing her deeply. She ran her fingers through the hair on his chest, tugging lightly.

  Nate pulled away, and quickly removed the rest of his clothes. Angel’s eyes grew wide at the sight of his erection. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off it. Gently, Nate put his fingers under her chin and moved her head up.

  “It will be all right, sweetheart,” he said softly, pushing the sweat-dampened ringlets from her forehead. “It may hurt at first, but I promise you’ll experience pleasure.”

  He returned his attention to her breasts, suckling and massaging until she writhed under him. No longer able to hold off, he pushed her knees apart and settled over her. Whispering
words of encouragement, he licked the soft shell of her ear. She ran her hands over his back, lower to his buttocks, where she pulled him closer. Her uninhibited movements fired him.

  He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, and slid his finger into her opening, circling, moving it in and out. She was wet, warm and slippery. He added a second finger, and deciding she was ready, withdrew his fingers and gently entered her.

  “Hold on, honey, this may hurt a bit.” Sweat beaded his forehead, and his jaw tightened. God, he hated having to hurt her.

  “It’s okay, it feels okay,” Angel panted.

  He covered her mouth with his, and kissed her as he thrust into her body. She didn’t cry out, but whimpered a bit, and one lone tear slid down her cheek. He stilled his body to give her a chance to accept the fullness, enveloping her face with light kisses.

  After a minute, he began to slowly move, trying to hold back, which was almost impossible. As he started the age-old rhythm, he reached between them and, finding her little nub, fondled it.

  Their bodies slipped and slid against each other as Nate worked his magic. Angel let out a cry just as he stiffened and, throwing his head back, poured himself into her welcoming body.

  He collapsed on top of her and mumbled her name. What the hell had just happened? Ten years of marriage to Amy had apparently taught him nothing. Never had he been so out of control. He didn’t think it was the months of absence, either. This woman lying under him fired his blood like no other.

  Nate raised his chin, and gazing at her, kissed her smooth forehead. She ran her fingers over his cheek, her eyes focused on him.

  “I didn’t know it would be like this.” She said, softly laughing.

  “Darlin’, believe me when I tell you it’s not always like this.”

  He eased off her, and rested her head on his shoulder. Angel drew lazy circles on his chest, pulling and tugging at the hair. Then she laughed again.