A Widowed Mother’s Second Hope – Extended Epilogue

November 1885

The ponies trotted around and around in the paddock. Lily was sitting a little awkwardly in her saddle, but Sam was looking good.

Gosh, he’s a natural, Emma thought with a hint of pride. George would be happy.

Leaning her arms on the cross bars of the fence, Emma sighed with happiness. She was a lucky woman. Not everyone could say that they had such an awesome second chance at love. She had that, and she had grabbed it by the horns, so to speak.

“How do they look?” Cole asked, walking over to her, and kissing her briefly on the lips.

“They look good,” Emma agreed. She had an ache in her lower back which was only going to get worse as her pregnancy progressed. She’d had the same thing with Sam. Wincing, she rubbed what she could reach.

“You okay?” Cole asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just my lower back.”

Cole nodded and turned his attention back to the children on the horses. They were learning to ride well.

Cole is an excellent teacher. In fact, now that Jimmy was gone, Cole seemed to have more fun raising horses than cattle. He had bought a few new horses to breed with, once he’d received the first payment from the mine in the hills. Them, and the two ponies.

“Listen, folks will be arriving soon,” Emma said. “They need to get washed up.”

Cole frowned. “Why? They’re just going to get dirty again. You know all the children will be running around here like little maniacs for the afternoon.”

“Cole, they need to wash up,” she said firmly. At seven months pregnant, Emma had lost all of her capacity for nonsense. Her patience hung by a thin thread that got thinner the more her ankles swelled and her back ached.

Turning to Lily and Sam, Cole called out, “Okay, you two. That’s enough for today. Let’s get the ponies rubbed down and back in their paddock.”

“Aw, but Papa!” Lily protested.

“Cole, please can we ride a little more?” Sam asked. “It is my birthday.”

Cole turned to Emma with an enquiring look on his face. She sighed. Sam was such a precocious seven-year-old now. With Lily’s help, he was reading far beyond his grade, and he was surprisingly bright. He hadn’t lost his sweetness, though; and he hardly ever asked for something special.

“Okay,” she said. “Ten more minutes, but then we’re cutting it close.”

Sam beamed at her and Emma smiled back. To think her little man was seven. She wondered if George was looking down on him from heaven. It didn’t matter that she and George hadn’t seen eye to eye—Sam was their son, and she hoped that his father was as proud of him as she was.

The sound of a buckboard riding up the drive made Emma turn. She smiled. “Maggie and Andy are here.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Cole said, a little apologetically.

Emma walked over to where the buckboard had stopped. The couple had gotten married four months after Emma and Cole, and they hadn’t wasted any time getting their family started.

A little baby boy had come into Mrs. Agnes’ orphanage in Still Creek. Maggie had been there visiting with Emma, and she’d taken one look at the little boy and fallen in love. He had blonde hair and blue eyes and was the most precious thing that Maggie had ever seen.

A week later she brought Andy to come and meet him, and they had left with the little fellow. They named him Andrew, after Andy, and were the happiest new parents that Emma had ever seen.

That had been eight months ago, shortly before Emma had become pregnant.

“Hi,” Emma said as she approached the buckboard.

Little Andrew was standing in the back, holding onto the side. He was turning a year in a month, and was getting ready to start walking.

“Emma, you look lovely,” Maggie said, beaming. “You’re glowing.”

Emma waved her words away. “I’m large and heavy, and I ache.”

“You look great,” Andy agreed. “Where are Cole and Sam?”

She pointed to the paddock. Andy nodded. “Right. I think Junior and I will take a walk over to them.” He picked up his son, who cackled and squealed happily, and they headed toward the paddock.

“How are you doing? Is there anything you need help with for today?” Maggie asked.

“I think everything is under control,” Emma replied. “I did all the cooking this morning, so everything just needs to be heated up.”

“Oh, that was smart,” Maggie said. “I should remember that when it’s Junior’s big day.”

“He’s looking wonderful,” Emma said. “Such a happy little boy.”

“Well, his parents dote on him,” Maggie said. “We might have to get another so that he doesn’t become obnoxious.”

Emma laughed. “Sounds like a plan. Are you going to adopt again or have your own?”

“We’ll adopt,” Maggie said brightly. Then, leaning in close to Emma, she added, “Andy was kicked in the…you know… when he was younger. There’s doubt that he could father a child because of it.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Emma said, feeling bad for them.

Maggie shook her head. “I’m happy. This is perfect for me.”  She giggled. “We’re going to speak to Mrs. Agnes to keep us in mind. She is coming here today, right?”

“For Sam’s birthday? You bet she’ll be here,” Emma replied. “I wonder where she is.”

“Maybe on her way.”

“Maybe. Let’s hope—she’s supposed to be bringing June and Billy.”

Another dust plume arose on the road, and soon another buckboard arrived at the ranch. It was Sheriff Parker and the Widow Tully. They had had an on again-off again relationship for years, Maggie said.

“I only hope they stick it out this time,” Maggie said softly to Emma.

The Widow Tully was a friendly woman with auburn hair and a cheeky smile. She handed Emma a gift for little Sam, and then let the sheriff take her around the back where the party table had been set up.

The weather was fine, and it was a warm day; probably one of the last ones before it began to snow. Sam loved the outdoors, and Emma was glad that he would be able to play all day.

Mrs. Agnes, June and Billy arrived next. Maggie and Mrs. Agnes set off to talk about another adoption, June and Emma and went to sit on the porch, waiting for more guests.

“You really have a lovely home here, Em,” June said brightly. “I’m so glad for you.”

“Thanks, I really love it here.”

June nodded. “I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but you never seemed too happy with George.”

“He wasn’t an easy man to live with. Cole on the other hand is very easy. He just needs love and food, and he’s fine,” Emma said, chuckling.

June laughed, too. “That’s the secret. Food and love.”  Then she patted Emma’s distended belly. “What are you hoping it will be?”

“Healthy,” Emma replied.

“Ahh, good attitude. Then you’ll be happy with whatever it turns out to be.”

“That’s the plan. I should imagine that it won’t matter, either way. Lily will make sure this child reads before he or she can walk, while Sam will make sure that they can run and jump and climb like a little monkey.”

They laughed again, then began to talk about other things.

Soon all of the guests had arrived. Emma, Maggie and June brought out the feast.

It was a selection of Sam’s favorite dishes. There was roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet carrots. A pile of corn on the cob disappeared as each child ate one with some salt and a dollop of butter.

They sat around the table under a tree in the sunlight and laughed and drank. Emma only had herbal tea to combat her raging heartburn that seemed to be triggered by everything she ate.

Maggie and Deputy Andy took turns trying to feed Junior, who seemed more interested in dropping the mashed potatoes on his clothes than putting them in his mouth.

Sam, Lily, Billy and Sam’s friends from school played games of tag, kicked a ball around the yard, and had competitions throwing stones at empty cans that Cole arranged on the fence.

The afternoon was filled with the screams and laughter of happy children. Emma couldn’t have been happier herself if she tried.

When it was time to bring out the cake—a chocolate sponge that Emma had asked the baker in town to make—everyone gathered around the table. Cole helped Sam to cut the cake, and everyone had a piece.

“So, Mrs. Agnes says she’ll keep an eye out at the orphanage for us,” Maggie said brightly. “She has some unwed ladies there at the moment who are about to give birth. We might get lucky.”

“That’s wonderful,” Emma said. “Really, Maggie, I hope you get your little girl soon.”

“Me too,” she replied. “Andy and I want a house full of children, so we might have to adopt twins next.”

Emma swallowed hard. “Twins?”

Maggie burst out laughing. “I wish you could see your face! You look horrified.”

“Well…” Emma drawled. “As a woman who will have to give birth in the near future, the idea of having two of them at once doesn’t appeal.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Maggie said, hugging her. “You don’t have to have them.”

That was true.

Soon the party ended, and most of the guests went home. Only Maggie, Mrs. Agnes and June stayed to help clean up. June and Billy would be staying for a couple of days anyway, but Maggie and Andy loved to stay, too, when they could.

“We’re thinking of buying Randall’s ranch,” Maggie said as they began to wash the dishes.

“You are?” Mrs. Agnes asked.

“It’s not that far from town, and we thought it might be a good investment. The land is good, and we can plant some fruit trees or something.”

“Yes, you should do that,” Emma said enthusiastically. “It would be wonderful to have you so close. The children would always be able to play.”

“It does sound wonderful,” June agreed. “Sam and Billy always had the best fun when they lived close to each other.”

“I remember we couldn’t get them to come home,” Emma said with a smile.

Just then Cole and Andy came into the kitchen. “Okay, it’s definitely starting to get cold out there. The wind has come up, and I think we’re in for a storm later,” Cole said.

“Oh. Then we should go,” Mrs. Agnes said. “I have a meeting with the mayor tomorrow about opening a center for women here—for the unwed mothers and those that need help.”

“What a marvelous idea,” Maggie said. “We will back you all the way.”

“Absolutely,” Emma agreed.

Mrs. Agnes left, and Maggie and Andy took little Junior home too.

That evening they were all quite tired. Sam, Lily and Billy were so exhausted that they went up to bed without any fuss whatsoever. Even June was too tired to stay up, she went to bed as well.

Cole sat at the kitchen table, staring at an envelope in his hands.

“What’s that?” Emma asked.

“A letter from Jimmy.”

“What does it say?”

“I haven’t read it yet.”

“So, read it,” Emma said.

He nodded and opened it. “I don’t know…it feels strange to get letters from him.” Emma sat across from him, and listened as he read:

“Dear Cole,

I just wanted to let you know that I’m doing well. I’ve been working on myself and I think I will have a chance when I get out. It was wrong of me to blame you for all of my own shortcomings. I should have been a better friend. I hope you can forgive me.”

Cole stopped reading. He wiped a tear from his eyes.

Emma got up and hugged him. He put the letter down. “I’ll answer it in the morning. Let’s go to bed.”

Cole wrapped his arms around Emma as they checked the windows against the rain that was rumbling in the sky and pelting the roof. He held her tight, and she rested her head on his chest.

“It was a good day,” he said.

“Yes, it was,” she replied. “Sam had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for everything you did today.”

“Me? It was all you,” Cole said. “You organized the whole thing. All I had to do was show up and talk to people. You’re the one who is amazing. Would you like a cup of tea, my amazing wife?”

“No,” Emma said. She’d had more than enough tea. “Take me up to bed, husband of mine. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day.”

As they climbed the steps to their room, walking arm in arm, Emma was the happiest she had ever been. This was what she had always wanted for her life. And to think that if Randall hadn’t been a jealous, horrible man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, she might not have met Cole. She might have lived out her days miserable with George.

It was funny how something so good could come from something so horrible. But that was life, she mused. Something had to end for another, better thing to begin, and she was eternally grateful for all of her blessings.

THE END