Rocky Mountain Memories. Lois Richer

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СКАЧАТЬ as I can’t remember any of you. “Jake said your baby is brand-new,” she murmured, staring at the delicate face and wondering if she’d ever wanted to be a mother. “Congratulations.”

      “Thanks. This is your niece, Mirella. She’s pleased to meet you.”

      “Me, too, Mirella.” Gemma stirred at the touch on her shoulder. Jake. Her protector. When he smiled, her tension eased.

      Thank You, God, for Jake. Funny how natural it seemed to pray. Was she very religious? How could she not know something like that?

      As if sensing her confusion, Jake asked, “How about some lemonade on the deck, Gem?”

      “Great idea! What’s wrong with us, keeping our girl standing here?” Tillie smiled at Gemma before turning to Margaret. “Come, sister. Let’s savor this blessing of having our four girls home once more. It’s been forever, or so it seems.”

      “Thank you all for your warm welcome,” Gemma repeated politely.

      Her family—how strange that word felt—sat around her on a huge deck overlooking a picturesque valley. Everyone chattered at once. It should have sounded like bedlam, and yet to Gemma, the loving, teasing voices and laughing children who played boisterously nearby were a balm to her jumbled mind. With the warm sun on her face and several delicious cookies in her stomach, her eyelids soon drooped.

      “Gem?” Tension underlaid Jake’s husky drawl.

      “Yes?” She blinked before forcing herself to sit up straight. “Did I fall asleep again? I’m so sorry,” she apologized to the group who now stared at her with sympathy. “Is my hair a mess?” When she lifted her hand to smooth the strands she noticed an older man in a three-piece suit standing at the edge of the patio. “I’m sorry if I should know you,” she began to apologize. She stopped when Jake’s fingers squeezed her shoulder.

      “Gemma, this is Wilber Hornby. He’s a local lawyer.” There was a graveness to Jake’s tone that she didn’t like. “He’s here about Kurt.”

      “Now?” She frowned. “But I only just got here—”

      “I’m very sorry,” Mr. Hornby said in precise diction. “But Kurt was most insistent that if anything happened to him, I was to speak to you immediately. I promised I would do so, therefore I have come.”

      Only then did Gemma notice that, one by one, her family had silently left. Only her aunts, Jake and the lawyer remained with her. This must be serious. Funeral plans?

      “O-okay.” As she drained her glass of lemonade, she realized that Jake was about to depart, too. “Please stay?” she begged. “Please?”

      Jake glanced at the aunts. They nodded. He appeared to consider something but finally shrugged and sat down. Gemma mouthed thanks before turning to face the sober-faced lawyer.

      “What is this about?” she asked.

      “It’s about a girl,” Mr. Hornby said. “Your husband’s four-year-old stepdaughter. Her name is Alexa.”

      Gemma had steeled herself to hear something important, perhaps something about Kurt’s final wishes or... Wait a minute.

      “My husband was married before me?” She turned questioningly toward Jake and was astonished by his outraged glared at the lawyer.

      “Kurt Andrews never had eyes for anyone but Gemma for as long as I knew him.” Jake glowered at the lawyer. “He was always crazy in love with her. What are you saying?”

      The way Jake said the words, fiercely, with his blue eyes glittering, jaw clenched and his back ramrod straight—it was as if this man was indignant on her behalf, Gemma thought wonderingly. That made her feel special, valued, precious.

      “I have a letter from Mr. Andrews to his wife that will explain,” Mr. Hornby began, drawing an envelope from his briefcase.

      He held it out, but Gemma couldn’t take it. She wasn’t sure exactly why, only that she didn’t want to have to deal with anything more right now, especially not a letter from a husband she couldn’t remember.

      “Can’t it wait?” she begged, sending Jake a pleading look.

      “Kurt’s direction to me was to proceed as quickly as I could.” The lawyer’s set face told Gemma he would do his duty no matter what.

      “Perhaps in this instance, Wilber,” Aunt Tillie said softly, placing her hand on his arm, “we might dispense with her reading the letter right now. Couldn’t you just tell Gemma the gist of it?” She glanced at her sister for support. “After all...”

      The two women shared a look that told Gemma they knew, or at least guessed what was in that envelope.

      “Those are not the terms—”

      “I know, Wilber. And you’ve been most circumspect in coming here as soon as our dear girl arrived home,” Margaret soothed. “But Gemma isn’t herself. She’s been through an earthquake and she has amnesia. The doctor’s orders are for her to minimize stress.”

      Even Gemma could see the lawyer weakening under the genteel ladies’ soft words and beseeching expressions. She had a hunch that there weren’t many people who could deny these aunties whatever they asked for. They were characters. It would be fun to get to know them.

      “If you could just explain to Gemma what you need from her, sir,” Jake added quietly. “Once she knows whatever it is, she can think about it and come back to you if she needs clarification.”

      She threw him a grateful look. He was such a sweet man to always keep smoothing the way for her.

       Always? Jake had smoothed her way before?

      “Is that your wish, Mrs. Andrews?”

      Gemma glanced around, wondering whom he was addressing and found everyone staring at her. Oh. Mrs. Andrews. That was her name. How strange.

      “Gemma?” Mr. Hornby pressed.

      “Yes, please. Just tell me the basics,” she said, nodding.

      “Very well, though it’s rather difficult...” Mr. Hornby paused, gathered his thoughts and then began speaking. “Your husband—you remember he went to college after finishing high school?”

      “I’m afraid I don’t remember anything,” Gemma told him. “Just pretend we never met before and tell me what you think I need to know about, um, Kurt.”

      “All right.” Hornby cleared his throat. “He told me he was uncertain about his next step and went to college to try to figure things out. While he was there he met a woman, Anna, a law student in her final year, who became a good friend. Kurt learned she was pregnant and desperate to finish school. She felt she had no way to raise a child and adoption was out because she couldn’t pay for a delay in her education. She intended to have an abortion.”

      “I see.” So the stepchild must be the Alexa he’s talking about. But why would my husband...?

      “Kurt was totally against abortion. He said he tried desperately СКАЧАТЬ