He shrugged and went outside. Mia glanced at Summer, then followed as the boy walked around to the back of the house and stopped in front of a grave.
Chapter 8
Mia stared at the rock-covered grave in silence. The crudely carved cross near the head leaned to one side. Newly etched letters spelled out the name Sara. “This was your mother?”
Elias nodded. “She got sick. She told me to dig her deep so no animal could chew on her old bones. She also wanted me to find the prettiest river rocks and place on top so people would know she was there. Right before she passed, she made me practice writing the letters of her name so I could carve them in a cross. Said she wanted me to remember her Christian name and not just what I called her.”
The four of them stood in front of the grave for quite a while. Mia hadn’t known the poor woman, but she shed a tear for her anyway. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel knowing she was leaving her young child all alone in the world with no one to take care of him.
Standing there, Mia made a solemn vow to take care of Elias and provide for him as if he were her own. She sent up a silent prayer that Josiah would not be too angry with her and be accepting of her promise. All she could do now was hope and pray he would understand because she couldn’t leave Elias here alone.
She laid her hand on the youngster’s shoulder. “I would like it very much if you would come live with us. You would have your own room, hot meals every day, and schooling. Of course, you would be expected to help out with chores, but from the wonderful way you took care of your mother’s house, I don’t see a problem with that. Your mother would be so proud of you.”
“Elias.” Summer motioned with her hand, then she and Billy moved away with Elias, whispering amongst themselves. After a few minutes, the three of them returned.
“Well? Have you made a decision?” Mia asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I would like very much to come live with your family. It gets a mite lonesome out here all by myself.”
Mia refused to let the tears fall, furiously blinking them away. “Is there anything you would like to bring with you? Something of your mother’s, perhaps?”
He nodded and went inside, returning a minute later carrying a large Bible. “This is the only thing I got left. One day, I’d like to learn how to read it.”
This time, nothing could stop the scalding tears from falling. “I will begin teaching you how to read tomorrow, if you’d like.”
“That’d be right nice, ma’am. Right nice, indeed.”
Josiah gently pushed the rocking chair with his boot, waiting for Mia to join him. He couldn’t remember such a long and eventful day in the recent past. The last time had been when his parents died. The day of the Kiowa attack had begun like any other. He’d awakened early and helped his father with the birth of a new foal. They’d attended church, then gone on a large family picnic. Afterward, they’d hunted most of the afternoon and had just returned home when the attack began.
He shook his head, his gaze skimming the red and purple sunset filling the horizon. He hadn’t thought about that day in years. Seeing Harjo’s injuries, so like his father’s, must have brought the memories back. Harjo, on the other hand, would survive. He shouldn’t be riding for a day or two, but knowing his friend, he probably would if he thought he had a chance at catching the outlaws.
The front door creaked open, and he watched Mia back out, carrying a tray of coffee in her hands. He smiled as she placed it on the table next to the chair. She picked up one of the cups and handed it to him then picked up hers. She sat beside him, tucked underneath his arm, and sipped her coffee.
“When did you and Billy have time to make this?” she asked, the palm of one hand sliding along the seat of the double-sized rocking chair.
“We would hurry through our chores so we could cut, sand, and put it together. I was more concerned about him not telling you what we were doing. He was so excited, I just knew he would blurt it out.”
“It’s a lovely chair and very unusual. I’ve never seen a double rocking chair before.”
“Neither have I, but I wanted to be able to sit and hold you, just like this. I have an idea for a better one—prettier and a nicer quality, but this one will do for now.”
"Don’t you dare,” she said. “This chair is perfect. You and Billy worked together to make it for me, and I couldn’t ask for anything more beautiful.” She blew over the top of her coffee and took a sip of the hot liquid, then licked her lips. “Josiah, you’re not mad at me for bringing Elias home to live with us, are you?”
Josiah twisted his head to look at her, one brow raised “Why would I be mad?”
“Because I didn’t talk it over with you first. If you’d seen how he was living…actually, his house was adorable. Clean, too. His mother raised him right. But, as the trees grew, the house would have come apart. Not to mention how dangerous it was for him to be out there with Johnny and the outlaws running around the countryside. It was the sight of the lonely grave behind the house—I just couldn’t leave him out there, fending for himself.”
He set his coffee on the ground beside him and leaned over to kiss her forehead. He turned sideways in the chair, pulling one knee up to press against her leg. In the moonlight, her hair glistened, and he ran his fingers through the long tresses, wrapping it around his wrist. With his curled finger under her chin, he turned her face toward his. He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck, his thumb brushing along her jaw in a small caress as he slowly leaned closer.
The tip of her tongue darted out, licking her lower lip and leaving behind a glistening trail of moisture he had to taste. He lowered his mouth to hers, her beautiful face so close to his. A temptation. He wanted to kiss her, hold her in his arms. His heart swelled in his chest—actually swelled until he thought it might burst from feeling too much. How had this woman come to mean so much to him in such a short time?
His lips brushed hers, her low moan painfully tightening his body. He drew her closer, needing to feel her against him, yet he held himself back, unsure of how he felt and not wanting to scare her. Even though they shared their marriage bed, the feeling growing in his heart was something more, and he needed to figure out what it was. He cared about her, but did she feel the same? He sensed her feelings for him growing a little more each day, and he’d seen her looking at him when she didn’t think he was aware. But was that curiosity or something more? Part of him wanted to ask, but a larger part was afraid of her answer. He wanted what Clay and Sophia had—the soul-deep kind of love. Could he find that with Mia?
He deepened the kiss, letting her see a little of what he felt inside, testing her response and was surprised when she laid her hand over his and pressed his hand against her face and kissed him back.
“You have a beautiful, loving soul,iskitini chukfi luma,” he whispered against her mouth. “I could never be angry at you for being compassionate toward others. Isn’t that what the Lord asks us to do when He gave us the commandment,Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? I can do no other than welcome Elias as you did.”
Mia smiled. “You are an amazing man, Josiah West. I am glad I chose your letter.”