The Midwife's Secret by Kate Bridges

them.”
    Amanda hugged her plump grandmother, then glanced at the narrow cots. “I don’t know how we’ll all sleep in this tiny space.”
    “Don’t you worry, I’ll figure out somethin’. But you’ve got to change. You can’t go dressed like an old farmhand. It’s not proper.”
    “I know,” said Amanda, already heading to the blue steamer trunk in the corner. She lifted the squeaky lid, searching beneath the special white angora shawl for her best suit. As a rancher’s wife she hadn’t needed many fancy clothes. It had been backbreaking work, tending to the cattle, and she had only one Sunday go-to-meeting suit.
    It didn’t take her long to change. She unpinned her hairand gave it a quick brush, allowing the curls to hang loose down her back.
    When she exited the shack with her everyday shawl and satchel in hand, Tom had already turned the horse and wagon around, waiting for her. He was playing fetch with Wolf. When Tom spotted her, the arm that was holding the stick froze in midair. He straightened his angular shoulders and lowered his intense gaze from her head to her toes. His obvious pleasure made her stomach flutter.
    “You just want to say hello to the children, huh?” he asked in a rough voice. “You’ll draw them like bees to honey.”
    She swallowed and nodded. She knew the creamy peach jacket clung to her slender waistline, that the peplum flared gently over her hips. The long skirt and bustle accentuated her long thighs. She chose it because she thought the children might like the cheery color.
    Tom stepped forward, cupping her face in his large warm hand. What was he doing, touching her again? Her heart began to beat to the pulse at the base of his throat. “The color of your suit goes well,” he murmured, “with your sparkling blue eyes.”
    “Not sad this time?”
    “No,” he said gently.
    It must have been the thought of meeting the lonely children that did that to her.
    When Tom helped her up to her seat, their warm fingers intertwined. Dressed in rough work clothes and smelling of fresh air and hard work, he was so male, his presence all-embracing.
    As they rolled out, Wolf jumped into the buckboard and Grandma said goodbye.
    “Is your pa feelin’ okay, Tom?” Grandma hollered.
    Tom looked suddenly concerned. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”
    “Seems like he’s been avoidin’ me for the past week.”
    Turning red, Tom cleared his throat and resettled into the firm seat beside her. Why did Grandma’s comment make him uncomfortable?
    Amanda knew why. He’d probably told his father of her divorce, and the older man didn’t approve of her, either.
    “I’m sorry,” Tom whispered with shame, and they let it rest between them. She didn’t want to argue, either. Not tonight.
    Dusk was falling. The woods seemed to sway with shadows, echoing with the cooing of birds, bonding her and Tom in an intimacy she tried to fight. The lull and creak of the wagon drew them closer.
    “Have you found Finnigan yet?” she asked.
    “Not yet.”
    “Did he…did he steal a lot from you?”
    A muscle in his jaw tightened. “That he did.”
    The soft breeze toyed with her long hair. “What can I do to help you catch him?”
    He stretched his long legs. “Would you speak to my friend, Graham? He’s the Mountie looking after the case.”
    She nodded. “Sure. I can speak to him tomorrow. But I’m afraid I don’t know anything more than what I’ve told you already.”
    “Anything you say about Finnigan might help Graham.”
    “Is overcharging for a property a crime?”
    Tom shook his head. “Not that I know of.”
    “It should be. This cabin is all I have left. No extra money because of him.”
    She dipped her hand inside her jacket pocket and pulled out her scratched pocket watch. “It’s close to seven. Youcan drop me off at the edge of town and I’ll walk from there.”
    He frowned. “I can’t dump you and leave you all alone.”
    “I’m accustomed to being on my own.”
    “For