Small Great Miracles (Resilient Hearts Historical Romance Series, Book #2)
Disclaimer: this chapter is not in its final version and is subject to change!
Chapter 1: Montana, January 1886
Dear Felicity,
I hope you are well. I have some news, but none as exciting as the stories you are always sending us—I’m afraid you think we are quite dull. Still, I find that this dullness, if it is such, does not bother me. Nathan and I have had enough excitement to last a lifetime, I think, and are very content in our quiet life.
You must come visit us again soon. Rosie is only just learning to talk, but the other night she said ‘liss-tee,’ and I do believe she was asking after you. How could she not? You are dear to all of us.
But I promised you news. You are to be an aunt again! Don’t tell Nathan, but I think this child will be a little boy. Can you imagine?Felicity, will you humor me, just for a moment, while I tell you that I am happy? I never believed I would find happiness such as this, but Nathan is so good to me, and I’ve found a family with him, and you, and Clark and Olivia. I’ve found there are more people whom I love and who love me than I ever imagined possible. Even Valentine has ceased most of her ridiculous antics. I went into the general store last week, and she didn’t say even one petty thing to me—merely glowered a bit.
All our love, Angel
A smile on her face, Felicity folded the letter and placed it back in its envelope. She took a box from a shelf above her desk, opened it, then gently laid the letter with its sisters. There were twenty letters in all, each from either her mother or from her cousin Nathan’s wife, Angel, and each letter was treasured more than their senders likely would have guessed.
As much as Felicity loved the independence she had gained by moving away from her loving but overbearing parents to teach in Montana at the age of nineteen, now twenty-two, she missed her family a great deal. Felicity sighed and replaced the box, then sat at her desk, taking out a sheet of paper to begin writing her reply
Dearest Nathan, Angel, Rosie, and my future niece or nephew, whom I already love—
But at that moment, a knock came at her door, and Felicity looked up with a start, causing a blot of ink to fall from her fountain pen and mar her paper. Felicity frowned. The knock came again, and Felicity rose from her comfortable seat, somewhat less than excited about the prospect of opening the door to greet an unexpected guest who she knew would be accompanied by the cold winter air.
Felicity smoothed her hair, then the front of her dress, and cracked the door open to greet the man in front of her, who she immediately recognized. Felicity knew Sam Greyson well enough. Although he was too old to be one of her students—Sam was a year or two older than herself—his two youngest siblings attended the school where Felicity taught.Sam’s mother and father had passed after they had immigrated from Ireland. As the oldest of their children who had come over from Ireland with them, Sam had been left in charge of both their sizeable ranch and his four younger brothers and sisters after his parents passed. Since then, his two younger brothers had moved away. The twin girls, Niamh and Aine—even though they’d been her students for years, Felicity still had to remind herself their names were pronounced Nee-iv and Awn-ye, respectively, each time she saw their names written—still lived with Sam, although they were hoping to attend college together next year.
“Miss Evans,” Sam greeted her back, his startlingly blue eyes twinkling at her from under his hat and above his scarf.
“Is something wrong?” Felicity asked, suddenly nervous.
“No, nothing,” he hurriedly reassured her. “But with the cold spell we’ve had these last few weeks, I was worried you might be running low on wood for the stove. I thought I might bring a load by?”
Felicity didn’t think Sam’s last sentence had been intended to form a question. She smiled, and he relaxed. “That is very kind of you. Thank you.”
Sam nodded, and proceeded to restock her wood box from the pile of firewood outside in his wagon. Felicity moved away from the door, making space for Sam to come in and out of the small cabin. With each trip, he was always careful to close the door, leaving it just barely cracked open to allow himself to get back in with his arms full of wood while keeping the cold air out.Felicity felt odd continuing her letter and ignoring Sam while he worked; she also felt odd simply standing and watching him work. In the end, she settled for anxiously waiting by the door and helping Sam stack the wood once he had brought it inside. The lines around his eyes crinkled when she did that. Felicity thought he must be smiling, but since his mouth was covered by his scarf, she couldn’t be quite sure. At any rate, he didn’t wave her off, so Felicity kept on as she had started, and soon her wood box was full again, there was a tidy stack of wood just outside her door, and Sam Greyson was standing in front of her, arms empty of firewood and eyes still smiling at her.
Felicity was struck by a sudden thought. Was Sam’s interest in her beyond that of general concern for the town’s teacher? She blushed as she pushed the thought from her mind. It wasn’t that she was unattractive—Felicity knew she was pretty enough. The problem was that few men remained interested after they became acquainted with Felicity’s straightforward manner of speaking.Most of the time, this didn’t bother Felicity. She hadn’t ever planned to marry. If she was being frank, which she nearly always was, her parents’ relationship had done nothing to endear the idea of marriage to her, and her interactions with potential suitors had done nothing to change her mind on the subject.
And so, even though the idea that Sam Greyson might have taken an interest in her sent a brief thrill through Felicity, she hoped, for his sake, that it wasn’t true. Still, now that the thought was in her mind, she couldn’t help eyeing him as he made quick work of the wood pile. The idea of Sam had made her heart flutter in a way on one else had since [her childhood crush], and Felicity, naturally and constantly curious to a fault, wanted to know why.
As Sam finished bringing in the last load of wood, though, he turned to her as though he had something he wished to say, but remained silent, as though perhaps he was working up the nerve to say it.“Thank you, again, Mr. Greyson,” Felicity said to fill the silence.
“You’re very welcome, Miss Evans. But please call me Sam.” He pulled the scarf down from his mouth as he spoke, and Felicity could finally see the smile his eyes had been hinting at. Sam hesitated, then said, “Miss Evans—”
“Please, if you want me to call you by your given name, do the same for me as well. Call me Felicity.”
“Felicity, I was wondering if you would like to go driving with me next Sunday after church?”
Felicity stared at him, feeling that strange flutter in her chest rise up again. To her surprise, she found that she didn’t immediately want to say no. Usually quick with her words, Felicity’s confusion rendered her silent.
The smile faded from Sam’s mouth, as did the twinkle from his eyes, although the kindness remained. “I understand. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He hesitated, then added, “If you don’t mind, though, I hope you’ll still allow me to make sure your wood box is filled the rest of the winter.”
Felicity knew her students would appreciate the full wood box during these cold months, and she nodded her thanks. “I would be much obliged.”
Sam nodded and turned to leave, and Felicity scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head, fighting against her own thoughts. Sam needed to leave, but for some reason Felicity couldn’t even begin to articulate, it mattered to her that Sam not leave like this.
“Sam, I—” Felicity spoke, then cut off.
Sam turned, then waited patiently for her to finish. It took Felicity several moments to gather her thoughts, and when she finally did, her words tumbled out of her, so quickly it was almost embarrassing. “If I were ever to go driving with anyone, I’d wish it to be you.”
Felicity stared at the floor while Sam stood silently, considering her.
“May I ask why you do not wish to go with me, then?” he asked.
“It’s not that I don’t wish to.” But that was all the explanation Felicity could bring herself to give.
After a moment, Sam said, “I’d better be getting back to the ranch.”
Felicity looked up and nodded. Sam pulled his scarf back up. His blue eyes looked more somber than before. Then, the tiniest bit of a twinkle returned, and he asked, “If I were to try to change your mind, would it be unwelcome?”
Without thinking, Felicity shook her head, then blushed, and even underneath the scarf, she could see Sam’s gentle smile return. “All right, then. Good day, Felicity.”
Sam strode out to his wagon, and Felicity closed the door softly behind him, then leaned against it. What had she just gotten herself into?