To Have and To Hold (11 page)

and Calvin Jr. and Charity are seven and five. Their ages do make it easier to travel.”

They went up the steps and Dave fel behind them so they could enter the house first.

Grace opened the storm door and entered the house first. “We cal Calvin Jr. ‘Cal’, so when

someone says Calvin, they mean my husband, and if they say Cal, they mean our son.”

With an apprehensive glance in Dave’s direction, Mary fol owed Grace into the house and took

note of the stairs to her left. Straight ahead was a hal way and to her right was a doorway

leading to a parlor. She grew up in this house? A quick scan of it didn’t prompt any memories.

“I’l get Calvin to show you to your room,” Grace told Dave before she hurried to the parlor.

“She’s as nice as you said,” Dave whispered.

Mary sighed. “Yes, it seems that way.”

“That’s good.”

Yes, it was. But the sickening sensation in her gut only grew worse. She hadn’t been happy

here. Maybe she was content because it was al she knew, but she hadn’t been happy. She

was happy in Nebraska with Dave and his family. Maybe it was better if she didn’t remember

this part of her past. Would she have come out here to see her ailing father if she knew why

she hadn’t been happy here?

Grace came back out with Calvin who offered them a wide smile and extended his hand toward

Dave.

Dave set down one of the carpet bags and shook it.

“Did you have a good trip?” Calvin asked.

“We did,” Dave replied. “And you?”

As the men talked, Grace came over to Mary. “Father is asleep at the moment. When he

wakes up, you’l get to see him. In the meantime, Katie and Leah are here. They’re our older

sisters.” She paused. “You don’t remember how large of a family we are, do you?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary noted that Calvin led Dave up the stairs before she

answered her sister’s question. “Dave said we have six brothers and four sisters.”

“Yes. Our mother is at Chet’s house right now.”

“Chet’s one our brothers?”

“Yes, and he’s the oldest child. He was already twenty when you were born, and I’m two years

older than you. In some ways, he seems more like an uncle than a brother.”

“And Katie and Leah?”

“Five years older than me and seven years older than you. They’re twins. Growing up they

liked to fool us into believing Katie was Leah and Leah was Katie.” She lowered her voice and

said, “We didn’t find it as amusing as they did.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, Mary asked, “Did we like them?”

“We tolerated them. Maybe it’s wrong to say, but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have enjoyed

growing up as much as I did.”

“And now? Do you tolerate them?”

“They grew up and set aside the need to fool people into believing they were the wrong twin.”

Katie and Leah chuckled from the parlor.

With a shrug, Grace said, “Now that I’ve warned you, you can meet them.”

As Grace led her into the parlor, Mary gave one last look at the top of the stairs where she

could hear Dave and Calvin talking. When Grace and Mary stepped into the parlor, her gaze

fel on the two older brunette women who were hard to tel apart, except for their clothes. In

some ways, they looked similar to Grace. Feeling self-conscious but not knowing why, she

offered them a smile when they turned their eyes in her direction. They glanced back at each

other and exchanged looks that was meant to be a secret message. Unsure of what to make

of it, Mary shifted from one foot to the other.

From beside her, Grace said, “Mary has amnesia. Mary, this is Katie and this is Leah.”

Katie’s eyebrows furrowed. “Amnesia? But how did she get such a thing?”

It was on the tip of Mary’s tongue to suggest Katie ask her the question, but Grace spoke up

before she could. “She had a fal . Fortunately, there were no other injuries.”

Mary took the seat next to Grace on the couch but shook her head when Grace offered her

something to drink. Her stomach was doing more flip flops. The last thing she wanted to do

was drink something.

Katie positioned herself so that she was facing Grace and Mary. After she sipped her tea, she

asked Grace, “Are you saying, she doesn’t remember us?”

“Yes,” Grace replied.

“Then what is she doing here?”

Mary wondered why Katie didn’t talk to her even though she was looking straight at her.

“She got my letter saying Father is il ,” Grace replied before turning her gaze to Mary. “The

doctor doesn’t expect him to make it beyond a week. Your timing is good.”

“Quite,” Leah said with a firm nod and made eye contact with Mary. “And I must say, you

haven’t changed at al .”

“Wel , she does look a tad bit older,” Katie told Leah.

Mary opened her mouth, ready to ask why Katie didn’t talk directly to her, when Dave and

Calvin entered the parlor. Relieved, Mary shifted aside on the couch so Dave could sit on her

other side.

As Calvin sat in a chair near Grace, Grace said, “I was just explaining that Mary doesn’t

remember any of us.”

“That’s a real shame, Mary,” Calvin replied.

“So, you’re a farmer?” Leah asked Dave.

“Yes,” Dave said as he reached for Mary’s hand and squeezed it. “I grow corn and beans.”

Katie’s gaze went from Dave’s hand to Leah, and Mary shifted uneasily on the couch. She

didn’t like Katie or Leah.

Dave turned to her. “Do you need to lie down?”

Just as Mary thought to say it might be a good idea, the storm door opened and four children

came bounding into the parlor, fol owed by an old woman. The group stood up, and Mary was

beginning to think the crowded area of Omaha was nothing compared to this cramped room.

“Cal and Charity, don’t run,” Grace admonished and stopped Charity before she could plow

right into Mary. “Be careful where you go, honey.” She placed her arm around Mary’s

shoulders. “Look who’s here, Mother. It’s Mary. Mary, this is our mother.”

Mary smiled. “Hel o, Mother.”

To her surprise, her mother shook her hand instead of hugging her. “When you boarded the

train, I thought for sure, we’d never see you again, but here you are. And you brought your

husband?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m Dave.”

As she greeted him, Mary noticed the way Leah raised her eyebrow at Katie who shook her

head in response. She frowned. Exactly what was the meaning behind the looks they kept

giving each other? She tried to gather up a memory, even the smal est one, to help her better

understand her relationship to her sisters. She gathered she and Katie didn’t get along so wel

if Katie refused to speak to her directly. But was it as awkward with Leah?

“Wel , she must be tired from the long trip,” her mother said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Mary blinked and turned her attention back to them, realizing she’d missed part of what they

said. “What is it?”

“I was about to take her upstairs to lie down,” Dave told her mother, bringing his hand up to

Mary’s elbow for support.

Her mother nodded. “That’s a good idea. Her father wil be up soon, and when he is, she’l be

rested enough to see him.”

“Wil you be coming back down while she rests?” Katie asked Dave.

“No,” he replied. “I’m going to stay with her.” Turning to her mother, he added, “Wil you let us

know when her father is awake?”

“Of course,” her mother agreed.

Everyone moved aside in the smal parlor while Dave led Mary out of the room. On her way to

the doorway, she jerked right before she walked into a tal man.

“Oh, that’s Chet, our oldest brother,” Grace cal ed out above the people behind Mary who were

talking.

“It’s been a long time,” Chet said with a smile. “Nice to see you again, Mary, and it’s nice to

meet your husband.”

Mary had no idea how she was going to keep everyone’s names and faces straight. As it was,

her head was spinning. And to think she had more brothers and sisters to get acquainted with!

She grateful y al owed Dave to take her upstairs to what he said was her old bedroom.

She didn’t know what to expect from the old room. It wasn’t as comfortable as the one she and

Dave shared in Nebraska. This one had bare white wal s, a couple of beds and a dresser.

“That’s odd,” she said as she faced the area above the dresser where a mirror should be. “I

wonder where the mirror is.”

He shrugged as he pushed two of the beds together. “Maybe they needed to use it in another

room.”

For some reason, that didn’t seem right. On the edge of her awareness, something seemed to

creep in, but the more she tried to draw it out, the harder it was to grasp. After a frustrating

minute, she gave up and turned to Dave who was putting their clothes away.

She didn’t know why it didn’t occur to her just how good looking he was before. Of course, she

knew he was attractive. She’d have to be blind not to notice that. But he was more than just

good looking. He was gorgeous.

What is he doing with her?
That’s what the look Katie and Leah exchanged meant.

Dave glanced over at her as he finished tucking the last of their clothes away. Pushing in the

last drawer, he smiled. “You’l feel better after you get a chance to rest.”

She nodded and went over to the bed they’d be sharing. He was probably right. The trip to

Maine had been a long one. Releasing her breath, she settled onto the bed and waited for him

to join her so she could snuggle up to him. He brought his arms around her, and she closed her

eyes, content to enjoy this moment of peace before she had to face her family again.

Chapter Ten

“Mary?”

Mary stirred in her sleep, reluctant to leave the peaceful world of dreams where she was back

in Nebraska with Dave and their children. They were happy, and for some reason, the mirrors

covering every wal didn’t bother her. She sensed there was something significant about the

mirrors. She suspected her mind was trying to tel her something.

“Mary?”

There was the voice again. Deep, masculine, gentle. It belonged to Dave. She smiled and

opened her eyes. He was sitting on the bed and brushing the stray strands of hair from her

face.

“I didn’t mean to fal asleep,” she said as she sat up.

“You needed the rest.” He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. “Feel better?”

“Yes.”

She leaned into him and sighed. They decided to stay here for two weeks, but she wished they

hadn’t agreed to stay longer than one. She wanted nothing more than to be back home.

“Your mother was at the door right before I woke you up. She said your father’s awake. Are

you ready to see him?” Dave whispered.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.”

He helped her to her feet and walked with her to the door. “I told her that I thought you would,

but I wanted to be sure first.” He opened the door and she stepped onto the hal way. He

fol owed behind and motioned to the door furthest away from them. “Your mother says he’s in

there.”

Mary wasn’t sure what she expected when it came to her father. Wiping her hands on her

dress, she joined Dave in strol ing down the hal . “Wil you be coming in with me?”

“He asked to speak to you alone first.”

“Oh.” Despite her apprehension, she pushed forward and stopped at the closed door to her

father’s room. With an uncertain glance in Dave’s direction, she knocked on the door.

“I’l be right here,” Dave assured her. “When you’re both ready for me, just let me know.”

She nodded again and turned the doorknob which felt unusual y cool to the touch since it was

the middle of summer. Forcing aside her unease, she pushed the door open and peered into

the dim room. The curtains were drawn but a kerosene lamp was lit on the smal table by the

bed. A light breeze blew past the curtains to cool things off a bit but not nearly enough. Her

gaze went to her father who rested in the bed with the covers up to his chest. She wanted to

ask him if he was hot, but he shivered and pul ed the covers up to his neck.

He turned his head in her direction and smiled. “Mary, is it real y you?”

Immediately, she got the memory of her father’s support and care for her. Relaxing, she

entered the room, shut the door behind her and stepped toward him. “Yes, Pa, it’s me.”

His eyes watered as a smile crossed his face. “Wel , aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Smiling in return, she sat in the chair next to his bed. “It’s good to see you, too, but I don’t

remember anything from my life here. I had a fal and—”