RETURNED
Chapter 23
Thea slowly opened the front door and stepped into the hall after seeing Glory off on the train the next morning. She sighed with weariness as she pushed the door shut, and then noticed an envelope with Nate's name scrawled across the front sitting on the small table there.
Realizing it must be a letter to him from Glory, she frowned slightly before turning away and moving down the front hall to the kitchen. She stood there for a while listening to the ringing silence and then jumped when she heard something thud against the back door. Smiling slightly at her nervous reaction she hurried to open the door and let Chester in, wondering where the dog had been for the past few days.
The sheepdog looked up at her and gave a small huffing bark in greeting, and then trotted over to his water dish in the far corner. He looked back at her expectantly and she dropped her reticule on the table as she hurried to give him water and then filled another dish with food.
She patted the big dog on the head after putting both dishes down in front of him and he nudged her in the abdomen with his nose before turning his attention to his food. Laughing softly she put her hand on his broad back to steady herself as she stood and walked across the kitchen toward the middle hall, only pausing long enough to pick up her reticule. She made her way down the hall, into the sitting room, and then went to her desk.
Sighing again as she sat down in her desk chair, she opened a drawer to put her reticule away when her eyes fell on the green cloth bound ledger. She took that out of the drawer, dropped her reticule in, and then pushed it shut. Putting the ledger down on the blotter in front of her, she began flipping through the pages, smiling at the incredible mess she was seeing until she reached the pages after Adam took over.
The neat columns of numbers and his precise handwriting made her eyes begin to sting and she clenched her teeth, firmly resisting the urge to cry. She was about to close the book when a notation caught her eye and her gaze sharpened.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned the pages, seeing that same notation over and over again. She shook her head and tears did well up when she realized Adam must have been putting almost every penny he had been making for some time into her account.
A corner of a loose page protruded near the back of the book and she pulled the folded paper out, and then smoothed it open. There he had recorded every expenditure she had made for his care, and he had even worked out a fair estimate of what she would have been paid for her services as a doctor. A running total of Glory's and Abner's salaries had been written down too.
She smiled even as a few tears flowed down her cheeks and she refolded the page, put it back where she had found it, and then closed the ledger as she stood. Her eyes automatically began surveying the room and it seemed that everywhere she looked there was more evidence of the strength of Adam's character.
Her eyes went to the repaired iron hinge on the sideboard door, and then to the new firedogs in the fireplace. She moved around the room, pausing to touch the side table by the sofa that didn't wobble anymore. Then she stopped in front of the bow window, standing on the floorboards that no longer creaked.
Moving out into the middle hall, she made her way down to the kitchen. She opened the back door and the now well-oiled hinges didn't squeal. The drawer full of dishtowels opened without sticking, and the handle on the water pump at the sink didn't clatter loosely anymore.
Slowly sinking down into her usual chair at the kitchen table, she sat there remembering the first time he had asked her to marry him and closed her eyes. She could feel his strong arms pulling her to him again and tasted the sweetness of his kiss.
Her heart ached with loneliness and the silence of the house seemed to press in on her as she folded her arms on top of the table and lowered her head to rest on them. She cried for her fear, for her foolishness, and prayed she would get the chance to correct the biggest mistake she had ever made.
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Dark shadows were starting to spread across the deep green grass of the backyard when Thea awoke. Her neck was sore from sitting hunched over the table for hours. Her nose was stuffy from crying, her eyes gritty, and her face stiff from dried tears.
She arched her back to stretch her tired muscles and turned in her chair, preparing to stand, but then froze. Adam was standing in the kitchen doorway watching her with that special smile he reserved for her alone. Her heart began to race as she stared at him, not sure if she was dreaming and praying she was not.
"You came back," she breathed, one hand rising to her throat that was tightening with a riot of emotions. He shook his head at her and one dark brow rose.
"I told you I would come back Theadora. Haven't you learned yet that I always keep my word?"
Nodding slowly, she continued to stare. Her knees were shaking so badly she almost didn't make it to her feet. But she did and Adam braced himself when she burst into tears and ran, stumbling across the kitchen to throw herself into his arms.
Smiling, he pressed her up against him with one arm around her back and smoothed her hair down with his free hand. He let her cry against his chest without saying a word until she calmed down. Then he picked her up by the waist to sit her on the kitchen counter. Putting one hand under her chin to tip her face up, he pulled out a handkerchief and dried her face, standing in between her knees.
When her face was dry, he held the handkerchief out to her. The corners of her mouth lifted as she took the damp fabric. He tapped the tip of one finger on the end of her nose and she flushed pink with embarrassment, but blew her nose anyway.
Adam laughed and put his arms around her. "Everybody has to do that eventually Thea," he teased and she buried her face in his chest for a moment. Then she leaned back to look up into his face.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted your word that you'd come back," she said quietly and his gaze suddenly sharpened when he saw something in her eyes he hadn't seen before.
"Apology accepted, and yes you shouldn't have doubted me." He said firmly. "But I understand why you did."
"You do?"
"Yes, I do."
"I'm glad, but I'm still sorry."
He tipped his head to the side, a little surprised by her apology, and wondering just what had happened while he was gone. She seemed different somehow - his eyes narrowed even more as he thought about it.
"So you'll believe me when I tell you something now?"
"Oh yes, absolutely," she answered while nodding vigorously. He smiled down into her eyes as his heart began to beat faster and his stare intensified.
"What are you doing?" she asked when he picked her up by the waist again and set her on her feet. Then he went down on one knee in front of her.
"You know what I'm doing," he said reasonably. "Theadora, will you FINALLY allow me the honor of being your husband? Will you marry me?" he tensed, hoping his instincts were right and was astounded when she burst into tears again, then tipped forward into his arms.
"YES!" she almost shouted and began to rain kisses all over his face. "I don't care if I'm scared, I don't care about anything else, I just know I can't stand the thought of living the rest of my life without you!" Tears were still running down her cheeks as she murmured, "I love you," in his ear over and over again while she held him in a fierce grip.
"Thea," he said and had to repeat her name three times before she heard him. "Look at me," he said quietly and she finally loosened her grip and leaned back. Her arms were still around him and he tugged on them until he could take both her hands in his. He bent his head until their eyes were only inches apart.
"Listen to me and remember. I will never, ever leave you and I will never, ever be unfaithful. You have my heart, my soul, my mind, and my body. I belong to you now, just as you belong to me, and I will never, ever break your heart." He touched her lips gently with his and her mouth opened as his arms slipped around her. "I love you," he breathed into her mouth as she straightened up on her knees to press herself against him as hard as she could.
They were still there, kneeling while holding each other tightly when they heard someone clearing their throat. Nate was standing in the doorway, his blue eyes shining with happiness in the weakening light.
"Hi kids! What's going on?" he said with a wide smile.
"She said 'yes'," Adam answered as they both managed to stand without letting go of each other.
"Well, praise the Lord and hallelujah!" he shouted, striding forward to put his arms around them. "I couldn't be happier if you'd told me I inherited ten thousand dollars!"
Thea laughed softly and stretched up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "We love you too Nate," she said and Adam's heart skipped a beat at her using the word "we."
"Aw shucks ma'am," Nate drawled as he grinned. "I'm powerful fond of y'all too!"
Adam laughed and his eyes gleamed wickedly as he let go of Thea and turned to his friend. "I guess I have to kiss you now too," he said and Nate took a quick step back, laughing.
"Now cut that out!" he protested as he backed away and Adam followed closely.
"Come on Nate, it wouldn't be the first time," he said with raised eyebrows as he deftly began to herd the blonde man into a corner and Thea almost collapsed with laughter.
"Who told you?!" Nate was desperately looking for an escape route when he got the idea of using Thea as a shield. He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up as Adam moved closer. But the top of her head was still below his chin.
"Uh oh," he said when the other man stepped up against them.
"Don't fight it," he said as he reached up to put a hand on either side of the blonde man's head. Nate stared in horrified fascination as Adam's face slowly came closer and closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, Nate squeezed his eyes tightly shut and was startled when Adam suddenly turned his head sideways and kissed him on the cheek.
Thea was gasping for air when Adam stepped back and Nate dropped her to wipe at his cheek with both hands. "Ew.ick!" he complained unconvincingly and had to laugh when Adam gave him a wicked grin.
"Who told you?" he repeated.
"Nobody. I remembered," Adam answered. "And thank you, Nate. I'll never forget what you did for me."
Nate turned bright red, mumbled a hardly audible, "You're welcome," and ducked his head to stare at the floor.
Adam laughed then suddenly remembered someone was missing. "Hey, where's Glory?" he asked and his smile faded when Thea's did.
"Oh God, I can't believe I forgot!" She turned to Nate with a solemn expression. "I'm sorry Nate, she had to go home. Her father died."
"Damn it! And I wasn't here for her," Nate groaned and closed his eyes as Thea hurried into the front hall to pick up the letter from the stand near the door.
"Glory left this for you," she said, holding the envelope out to him. Nate stared at it for a moment before slowly taking it and tearing it open. Thea moved to put her arms around Adam's waist as the blonde man unfolded the letter and started reading.
Adam bent his head to drop a kiss on the top of her head and she sighed with contentment. Then they both looked up, startled by an anguished sound coming from Nate.
"What?" Adam asked, alarmed by his friends white face and staring eyes when he raised his head to look at them.
"She's not coming back," Nate said, stunned.
"No!" Thea protested and he held the letter out to her.
"Here, you read it."
She took the piece of paper and Adam looked over her shoulder to read it at the same time. When they finished, she let her arm fall limply and the paper fluttered to the floor.
"I'm so sorry," she choked and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug with Adam right behind her. They stood there for some time in the dark kitchen, holding their friend as he shook with the pain of a breaking heart, tempering their own joy in each other with the undeniable knowledge that nothing lasts forever.
**************
END OF PART 1 - Part 2 Coming Soon!!!
Chapter 23
Thea slowly opened the front door and stepped into the hall after seeing Glory off on the train the next morning. She sighed with weariness as she pushed the door shut, and then noticed an envelope with Nate's name scrawled across the front sitting on the small table there.
Realizing it must be a letter to him from Glory, she frowned slightly before turning away and moving down the front hall to the kitchen. She stood there for a while listening to the ringing silence and then jumped when she heard something thud against the back door. Smiling slightly at her nervous reaction she hurried to open the door and let Chester in, wondering where the dog had been for the past few days.
The sheepdog looked up at her and gave a small huffing bark in greeting, and then trotted over to his water dish in the far corner. He looked back at her expectantly and she dropped her reticule on the table as she hurried to give him water and then filled another dish with food.
She patted the big dog on the head after putting both dishes down in front of him and he nudged her in the abdomen with his nose before turning his attention to his food. Laughing softly she put her hand on his broad back to steady herself as she stood and walked across the kitchen toward the middle hall, only pausing long enough to pick up her reticule. She made her way down the hall, into the sitting room, and then went to her desk.
Sighing again as she sat down in her desk chair, she opened a drawer to put her reticule away when her eyes fell on the green cloth bound ledger. She took that out of the drawer, dropped her reticule in, and then pushed it shut. Putting the ledger down on the blotter in front of her, she began flipping through the pages, smiling at the incredible mess she was seeing until she reached the pages after Adam took over.
The neat columns of numbers and his precise handwriting made her eyes begin to sting and she clenched her teeth, firmly resisting the urge to cry. She was about to close the book when a notation caught her eye and her gaze sharpened.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned the pages, seeing that same notation over and over again. She shook her head and tears did well up when she realized Adam must have been putting almost every penny he had been making for some time into her account.
A corner of a loose page protruded near the back of the book and she pulled the folded paper out, and then smoothed it open. There he had recorded every expenditure she had made for his care, and he had even worked out a fair estimate of what she would have been paid for her services as a doctor. A running total of Glory's and Abner's salaries had been written down too.
She smiled even as a few tears flowed down her cheeks and she refolded the page, put it back where she had found it, and then closed the ledger as she stood. Her eyes automatically began surveying the room and it seemed that everywhere she looked there was more evidence of the strength of Adam's character.
Her eyes went to the repaired iron hinge on the sideboard door, and then to the new firedogs in the fireplace. She moved around the room, pausing to touch the side table by the sofa that didn't wobble anymore. Then she stopped in front of the bow window, standing on the floorboards that no longer creaked.
Moving out into the middle hall, she made her way down to the kitchen. She opened the back door and the now well-oiled hinges didn't squeal. The drawer full of dishtowels opened without sticking, and the handle on the water pump at the sink didn't clatter loosely anymore.
Slowly sinking down into her usual chair at the kitchen table, she sat there remembering the first time he had asked her to marry him and closed her eyes. She could feel his strong arms pulling her to him again and tasted the sweetness of his kiss.
Her heart ached with loneliness and the silence of the house seemed to press in on her as she folded her arms on top of the table and lowered her head to rest on them. She cried for her fear, for her foolishness, and prayed she would get the chance to correct the biggest mistake she had ever made.
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Dark shadows were starting to spread across the deep green grass of the backyard when Thea awoke. Her neck was sore from sitting hunched over the table for hours. Her nose was stuffy from crying, her eyes gritty, and her face stiff from dried tears.
She arched her back to stretch her tired muscles and turned in her chair, preparing to stand, but then froze. Adam was standing in the kitchen doorway watching her with that special smile he reserved for her alone. Her heart began to race as she stared at him, not sure if she was dreaming and praying she was not.
"You came back," she breathed, one hand rising to her throat that was tightening with a riot of emotions. He shook his head at her and one dark brow rose.
"I told you I would come back Theadora. Haven't you learned yet that I always keep my word?"
Nodding slowly, she continued to stare. Her knees were shaking so badly she almost didn't make it to her feet. But she did and Adam braced himself when she burst into tears and ran, stumbling across the kitchen to throw herself into his arms.
Smiling, he pressed her up against him with one arm around her back and smoothed her hair down with his free hand. He let her cry against his chest without saying a word until she calmed down. Then he picked her up by the waist to sit her on the kitchen counter. Putting one hand under her chin to tip her face up, he pulled out a handkerchief and dried her face, standing in between her knees.
When her face was dry, he held the handkerchief out to her. The corners of her mouth lifted as she took the damp fabric. He tapped the tip of one finger on the end of her nose and she flushed pink with embarrassment, but blew her nose anyway.
Adam laughed and put his arms around her. "Everybody has to do that eventually Thea," he teased and she buried her face in his chest for a moment. Then she leaned back to look up into his face.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted your word that you'd come back," she said quietly and his gaze suddenly sharpened when he saw something in her eyes he hadn't seen before.
"Apology accepted, and yes you shouldn't have doubted me." He said firmly. "But I understand why you did."
"You do?"
"Yes, I do."
"I'm glad, but I'm still sorry."
He tipped his head to the side, a little surprised by her apology, and wondering just what had happened while he was gone. She seemed different somehow - his eyes narrowed even more as he thought about it.
"So you'll believe me when I tell you something now?"
"Oh yes, absolutely," she answered while nodding vigorously. He smiled down into her eyes as his heart began to beat faster and his stare intensified.
"What are you doing?" she asked when he picked her up by the waist again and set her on her feet. Then he went down on one knee in front of her.
"You know what I'm doing," he said reasonably. "Theadora, will you FINALLY allow me the honor of being your husband? Will you marry me?" he tensed, hoping his instincts were right and was astounded when she burst into tears again, then tipped forward into his arms.
"YES!" she almost shouted and began to rain kisses all over his face. "I don't care if I'm scared, I don't care about anything else, I just know I can't stand the thought of living the rest of my life without you!" Tears were still running down her cheeks as she murmured, "I love you," in his ear over and over again while she held him in a fierce grip.
"Thea," he said and had to repeat her name three times before she heard him. "Look at me," he said quietly and she finally loosened her grip and leaned back. Her arms were still around him and he tugged on them until he could take both her hands in his. He bent his head until their eyes were only inches apart.
"Listen to me and remember. I will never, ever leave you and I will never, ever be unfaithful. You have my heart, my soul, my mind, and my body. I belong to you now, just as you belong to me, and I will never, ever break your heart." He touched her lips gently with his and her mouth opened as his arms slipped around her. "I love you," he breathed into her mouth as she straightened up on her knees to press herself against him as hard as she could.
They were still there, kneeling while holding each other tightly when they heard someone clearing their throat. Nate was standing in the doorway, his blue eyes shining with happiness in the weakening light.
"Hi kids! What's going on?" he said with a wide smile.
"She said 'yes'," Adam answered as they both managed to stand without letting go of each other.
"Well, praise the Lord and hallelujah!" he shouted, striding forward to put his arms around them. "I couldn't be happier if you'd told me I inherited ten thousand dollars!"
Thea laughed softly and stretched up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "We love you too Nate," she said and Adam's heart skipped a beat at her using the word "we."
"Aw shucks ma'am," Nate drawled as he grinned. "I'm powerful fond of y'all too!"
Adam laughed and his eyes gleamed wickedly as he let go of Thea and turned to his friend. "I guess I have to kiss you now too," he said and Nate took a quick step back, laughing.
"Now cut that out!" he protested as he backed away and Adam followed closely.
"Come on Nate, it wouldn't be the first time," he said with raised eyebrows as he deftly began to herd the blonde man into a corner and Thea almost collapsed with laughter.
"Who told you?!" Nate was desperately looking for an escape route when he got the idea of using Thea as a shield. He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up as Adam moved closer. But the top of her head was still below his chin.
"Uh oh," he said when the other man stepped up against them.
"Don't fight it," he said as he reached up to put a hand on either side of the blonde man's head. Nate stared in horrified fascination as Adam's face slowly came closer and closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, Nate squeezed his eyes tightly shut and was startled when Adam suddenly turned his head sideways and kissed him on the cheek.
Thea was gasping for air when Adam stepped back and Nate dropped her to wipe at his cheek with both hands. "Ew.ick!" he complained unconvincingly and had to laugh when Adam gave him a wicked grin.
"Who told you?" he repeated.
"Nobody. I remembered," Adam answered. "And thank you, Nate. I'll never forget what you did for me."
Nate turned bright red, mumbled a hardly audible, "You're welcome," and ducked his head to stare at the floor.
Adam laughed then suddenly remembered someone was missing. "Hey, where's Glory?" he asked and his smile faded when Thea's did.
"Oh God, I can't believe I forgot!" She turned to Nate with a solemn expression. "I'm sorry Nate, she had to go home. Her father died."
"Damn it! And I wasn't here for her," Nate groaned and closed his eyes as Thea hurried into the front hall to pick up the letter from the stand near the door.
"Glory left this for you," she said, holding the envelope out to him. Nate stared at it for a moment before slowly taking it and tearing it open. Thea moved to put her arms around Adam's waist as the blonde man unfolded the letter and started reading.
Adam bent his head to drop a kiss on the top of her head and she sighed with contentment. Then they both looked up, startled by an anguished sound coming from Nate.
"What?" Adam asked, alarmed by his friends white face and staring eyes when he raised his head to look at them.
"She's not coming back," Nate said, stunned.
"No!" Thea protested and he held the letter out to her.
"Here, you read it."
She took the piece of paper and Adam looked over her shoulder to read it at the same time. When they finished, she let her arm fall limply and the paper fluttered to the floor.
"I'm so sorry," she choked and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug with Adam right behind her. They stood there for some time in the dark kitchen, holding their friend as he shook with the pain of a breaking heart, tempering their own joy in each other with the undeniable knowledge that nothing lasts forever.
**************
END OF PART 1 - Part 2 Coming Soon!!!