"Grace should know what's going on. I would have told her to go ahead
and leave without Caleb and me and that we'd catch up with her in
Denver. She's under tremendous pressure, and time's running out for
her." Cole didn't understand, but Jessica refused to explain. "If
Grace wants you to know her personal business, she'll tell you.
I should have taken my belongings out of the wagon. I hope Grace
doesn't feel she has to look after them."
"Quit worrying, " he ordered. "She'll be fine, and you'll be seeing
her real soon." Her attention was turned when Caleb threw himself into
her arms. He wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and he was rank.
"I'll get the soap, " she said.
"Jessie? " "Yes? " she answered as she eased the baby off her lap.
"You might want to close your eyes for a minute." She didn't ask
why.
She simply squeezed her eyes shut. Curiosity got the better of her,
though, and she finally had to know. "You didn't take all of your
clothes off, did you? " "Sure did, " he answered cheerfully. "Caleb
and I are buck naked." She wanted to look. She convinced herself that
she was merely curious because she'd never seen a naked man before.
She really ought to, shouldn't she, since she was a mother?
She peeked, but with only one eye. She was disappointed because she'd
waited too long. All she saw was Cole's backside and thighs as he
moved into the water. She found it quite odd that every inch of his
back was also tanned. What did the man do? Work outside naked? The
possibility was so ludicrous, she smiled.
Caleb had his arms wrapped around Cole's neck and was happily
chattering into his ear. He didn't look at all scared, and Jessica
suddenly yearned to be in the water with both of them.
She went to fetch the soap instead. As she was searching through the
valise, she heard a loud splash, promptly followed by the baby's squeal
of delight. Nothing seemed to frighten Caleb, which meant that he was
feeling secure, she hoped.
"So far so good, " she whispered. Caleb hadn't been harmed by her lack
of skills as a mother. Each day she learned a little bit more, and
hopefully, by the time he was five or six, she'd be comfortable in the
role she'd taken on. She would always worry, she supposed, but then
didn't all mothers? She wanted to do the right thing for her son so
that he would grow up with fond memories and a strong sense of
self-worth. Unlike the other men in her life, Caleb would have
values.
"Jessie, bring the soap." She jumped at the sound of Cole's voice.
Grabbing the misshapen clump of rose-scented soap she'd made, she
hurried to the edge of the bank.
"Should I throw it? " {Sure, " he called back.
She aimed but missed by a good ten feet. Cole was able to retrieve the
soap before it sank to the bottom. "You throw like a girl, " he
shouted.
"I am a girl, " she called back as she kicked off her shoes and sat
down on the grassy slope.