Stranger in Their Midst

Chapter Eleven

Another cold wind assailed the tiny town ofWalnut Grove. The Bakers had decided it would be unwise not to let the people of Walnut Grove just what kind of man Juan was; the bank incident was not "out of the norm" in the least for her arrogant brother. That being the case, Catalina talked to Charles, Nels and others in town while Hyrum talked to others as he went on his rounds.

It was a good thing Hyrum and Catalina did this as the first place her brother had gone was to the mill. When Mr. Iglesia approached Charles, Charles had been working all morning at the mill. He took a break to stand and talk with Juan Iglesia. The man had said it was extremely important. However, the more the man talked, the angrier Charles became. He'd had no cause to doubt Catalina, but he'd not thought her brother would be as bad as he was turning out to be.

"That is enough!" Charles, who had been doing his best not to lose his temper when Juan Iglesia tried to show him "proof" that Hyrum was living a "double" life. Charles exploded when Juan, insisted that he was just doing his best to expose the man "before it was too late."

"I will not stand here any longer and listen to such outrageous tales!" said Charles in a tone that would not tolerate any more slanderous accusations from the man. "I don't know what you have against Dr. Baker, except for the fact that he doesn't have the kind of money you're family apparently does! When it comes down to it," Charles eyes were shooting bullets at the stranger in front of him, "what are you really more concerned about; your sister's happiness or your family's social status down in Mexico and Southern California?"

The truth can hurt and it hurt Juan. His eyes widened and he took a few step backs; his feather's ruffled, Juan shot back. "My sister deserves better than him! I will make her see that!" He turned to leave only to see Hyrum and Catalina walking down towards the doctor's office holding hands, talking and laughing.

Charles stepped closer to the gentleman and spoke quietly and sincerely. "Your sister loves Hyrum, and he makes her happy." Charles said as they watched the couple disappear out of sight. "What more can you wish for her?" He wasn't surprised when the man was left speechless. That being the case, Charles turned around and went back to his work.

Juan stood in the same spot for a solid fifteen minutes and then walked slowly towards the medical office. His gut didn't like the fact that he knew Mr. Ingalls was right. It was their family status that he and his father had been concerned about, not Catalina's happiness. He should have known that, out of all his sisters, it would be Catalina that would find her happiness with a man who could provide little in the way of worldly wealth; she had never been one who cared about "things like that", as she put it. Still, a part of him insisted to fight to get her to see reason.

When Juan got to the medical office, he knocked on the door. Nothing. His eyebrows turned down and he knocked again.

"We should answer that." Catalina giggled like a young girl school as Hyrum nibbled at her neck. "It might be important."

"I suppose so," Hyrum whispered he followed the trail up to her ear, "It would be embarrassing to have someone get desperate enough to open that door." Hyrum made himself pull away from his wife and went to answer the door, but not before promising her he'd "have his dessert later"…the couple had just eaten lunch at the café.

Immediately upon answering the door, the smile on Hyrum's face disappeared; he recognized Juan from Catalina's description of the man. "What do you want here?" Hyrum pulled himself to his full height and asked with a sharp tone in his voice as Catalina slipped her hand into his and held on tight, as if her life depended on it. Neither Hyrum nor Catalina was surprised by the words that came out of the man's mouth.

"I have come for my sister. She does not belong here. She belongs in Mexico or California with her family. Juan again sounded of arrogance; something that irritated both Hyrum and Catalina. Hyrum removed his hand from Catalina's and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. "A woman belongs with her husband," he stated firmly while glaring at his brother-in-law, "and we are man and wife! She is staying here with me!"

Juan opened his mouth to protest until Catalina spoke up… dropping a bombshell by announcing something she had meant to hold off on telling anyone, especially since she wasn't absolutely sure. Still, she knew that there was a high chance she was right and even Juan would stop pushing if he heard what she had to say. "Would you rob my baby of his father?" She wasn't surprised when both men looked as if their jaws could drop to the floor.

Hyrum whirled her around to face him. It had been three weeks since they'd first lain together. How could she know already? "Her time of the month, she had to have missed it! A baby?" his eyes started beaming.

Catalina went to reply only to have Juan explode. "How could you! How could you shame the family like this!" He turned around and stormed off. While a part of her felt sad that her family could not see how wrong they were, she wasn't about to chase after such a man as her brother had chosen to be.

"Catalina." Hyrum waited until Juan was out of sight and ran his hands down her face. "Are you sure?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "My time has not come and we have lain together a few times now. I say it's a good possibility. Though," she sighed as she looked out the open door at nothing in particular, "I am sorry if I am wrong. I…" she hung her head.

"You just knew it would get rid of Juan." Hyrum shut the door, locked it and gathered her up in his arms. "Well, if you're wrong, we can at least keep the gate open." Hyrum carried her into the large bedroom he had built onto the office for such times and shut the door with his foot.

Epilogue

Hyrum paced the floor of the restaurant. His friend Dr. Hillman had been visiting when Catalina went into labor with the child that she had indeed been carrying at the time of her brother's departure from Walnut Grove. Because Hyrum wasn't in town, Hester Sue had grabbed Dr. Hillman and sent Charles for Hyrum.

"You're going to wear a hole in that floor." Charles sat at the table grinning from ear to ear.

"I can't help it. I should be in there."

Charles laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "And make Catalina more nervous than you my friend? I don't think so."

Hyrum nodded; it was true, besides Dr Hillman was a trusted colleague and would look after her. "I still can't believe it. You know," Hyrum said as he looked up the stairs, "that first day I saw her in here, I thought she was just another stranger; I wonder what I would have done had I known back then what I know now."

"You'd have run," Charles busted up laughing as he answered, "and you know it."

Before Hyrum could say another word, the sound of a baby sounded in the air. Charles started laughing again as Hyrum flew up the stairs. He burst into the room, as Doctor Hillman finished washing his hands. Catalina was now lying peacefully in the large bed, droplets of perspiration still on her forehead and smile and a tear in her eye at the vision of her anxious husband. He knelt down and grabbed her hand and kissed over and over again, willing his own tears of relief and pride to stay contained. He gently laid a kiss on Catalina's warm red lips. He could not measure the love he now possessed for his beautiful Catalina, no longer a stranger in their midst. Then, when Hester Sue laid a bundle wrapped in clean white linen into his arms, Hyrum's heart jumped into his throat. He and his wife looked at the newest little stranger in their lives, and were overcome with tears of delight.

The following month Hyrum Iglesia Baker was presented before Reverend Alden.