June's Remedy Read online

  Daniel realized she was referring to him, and for a moment he was upset to be lumped with Tanner. If he let himself think about it; however, he deserved it. He had poured on all his charm when it came to June, and at the first disagreement over her wanting to settle down, he had bolted—thinking he was more afraid of that than losing her.

  He’d just assumed she’d still be waiting for him when he returned. When he came back; however, he found he had been irreconcilably wrong. She was promised to another man and planning to move to Glenda. As soon as he could, he took off on another drive and stayed gone until June was married and out of Belle. He thought that would do the trick—that once he knew she was someone else’s wife, he would find a way to get over her. It didn’t work. June was and would be the only woman he ever cared about, and he promised himself to never seriously get involved with a woman again.

  “I’m sorry about what happened between us when we were young, June. I should have handled it better than I did.”

  “We were young. We both made mistakes. I shouldn’t have pushed you to make a commitment. I should have realized you weren’t the committing type. If I had, it would’ve saved us both a lot of pain.”

  Daniel opened his mouth to rebuff her observation. He wanted to argue that he had wanted to commit to her, but he was scared since his own parents abandoned him when he was little. That loss, that rejection, had stayed with Daniel his whole life. He didn’t trust easily, and though he had cared a great deal for June, he couldn’t see past his own fears.

  He wanted to tell her it was the biggest mistake of his life. That he regretted running away, and even more, not fighting for her when he returned. The words never came though, and instead, Daniel looked for anything to take his mind from their painful past.

  “I stopped by the mercantile and got the supplies I would need for the new sign.”

  “You didn’t have to do that. I could have gotten them myself.”

  Daniel shook his head. “You have your hands full with the apothecary and Ben. I figured why give you one more thing to do.”

  “Thank you. I was thinking you could work on the back porch if you would like. It’s much quieter back there. Well, minus Ben making noise, that is.”

  “Sure, that works for me,” Daniel agreed, as he followed June towards the back of the house.

  Once she showed him his work space, he laid out his items and set to work. He spent the next hour cutting and sanding the piece of wood. Next, he outlined the letters to spell out: Belle Apothecary. Then underneath in smaller letters, he added: Finest Remedies in the Wyoming Territory.

  Next he painted in the centers of each letter, making sure to stay within the lines without covering them up. Just as he was finishing the last letter, June returned carrying a tray of cookies and lemonade.

  “Can I offer you a refreshment?”

  “You arrived just in time. I need to let the paint dry before I place another coat.” He reached out and took a glass from the tray, then placed the edge to his mouth. The cool liquid slipped past his lips and slid down his throat, quenching the thirst that had been building up inside him. “This is perfection. You always did make a good glass of lemonade.”

  “Try one of the cookies. I made them especially for you last night. They’re your favorites.”

  Daniel grabbed one of the shortbread cookies and took a giant bite. His eyes grew wide with appreciation, the sugary taste popping in his mouth, causing his taste buds to explode with joy.

  “They’re even better than I remember,” he said, after swallowing his second bite.

  “Glad you like them. Have as many as you like, and I’ll send the rest back with you to share with the other workers in the bunkhouse.”

  Daniel took another one, then gestured for her to sit next to him in one of the chairs. “Join me for a moment.”

  June placed the tray down on the table, then took a seat. She picked up a glass of lemonade and took a sip.

  “How do you think the sign is coming along?” Daniel inquired.

  She looked over at it and nodded with approval. “You’ve done a fine job, Daniel. You are every bit as good as you said you would be.”

  “You give me too much credit, June. I will say, the sign should at least do its job of getting the other Belle business owners off your back about it.”

  “I should say so. They’ll rightly think I hired a professional sign-painter from the quality of your work,” June commended. “Is there anything you can’t do, Daniel?”

  June’s praise made Daniel’s heart fill with warmth. It had been a very long time since he’d been on the receiving end of it, and he now realized he missed it.

  “Daniel, Daniel, you’re here!” Ben shouted, rushing into the room carrying two wooden trains in his hands. “Can you play with me?”

  “Oh, Ben, don’t pester him,” June gently chastised. “He has work to do.”

  The little boy’s head fell forward as he whispered, “Okay.”

  “How about this, Ben. You can help me finish this sign, then I can play trains with you in a bit.”

  “And how about I cook lunch for the three of us?” June proposed. “I’m sure you’ll work up an appetite painting and playing together.”

  Daniel debated whether or not he should stay. If he did, it would mean getting closer to both of them. The last thing he needed was to let himself get involved with her again. She’d broken his heart once; he didn’t want to give her a chance to do it again.

  Even though he knew the reasons he shouldn’t say yes, he found himself agreeing to her offer none-the-less. “Thank you, I’d like that.”

  An hour later, the sign was finished. Ben and Daniel were settling into spots on the living room floor. The little boy pushed the train back and forth, encouraging Daniel to do the same. He made choo-choo noises for both of them and asked Daniel to do the conductor’s voice.

  What surprised Daniel was that he enjoyed playing with the boy. He hadn’t been around a lot of children in his life, but it turned out he was rather comfortable being around Ben.

  “The two of you look cute like that,” June observed, coming into the room.

  “Daniel’s really good at playing trains,” Ben stated with a lopsided grin. “He can come over every day and play with me.”

  “I’m sure he’s too busy for that, Ben,” June explained. “Just enjoy the time you have with him now.”

  “Please, Ma, he’s so much fun. I haven’t had fun like this since Pa played with me.”

  A sad look crossed June’s face and tears filled her eyes.

  Not wanting to see her cry, Daniel quickly offered, “How about this, I’ll come over as much as I can. I like playing with you, too.”

  Ben’s face lit up as he nodded his head up and down vigorously. “Yippee,” he shouted, jumping up and dancing around.

  “Lunch is ready,” June informed them. “Why don’t you two come join me at the table.”

  Both of them got up and followed her over, taking seats around the table. She’d already put plates and utensils at each spot, along with the stew she had made in the center. There was also a bowl of bread as well.

  “Do you mind saying grace, Daniel?” she asked, folding her hands in her lap and giving Ben a nod to do the same.

  Daniel was slightly uncomfortable with the request. Not because he wasn’t religious, he did believe in God, but because he’d never been asked to pray over a meal with anyone, let alone a family.

  Hesitantly, he held out his hand to June and Ben who both placed them in his. Somehow it felt right to be there with them like that, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to speak.

  After a couple of moments’ pause, he cleared his throat and began to pray. “Dear God, bless this food to our bodies and the hands that prepared it. We thank you for all you provide. Amen.”

  Ben and June repeated the “Amen” before June served each of them a portion of the stew, then a piece of bread.

  The stew was delicious
, causing Daniel to shove spoonful after spoonful into his mouth as he listened to Ben talk about his new life in Belle and how much he liked his new house. Interspersed was June discussing her plans for the apothecary and how she was getting used to Belle again.

  Daniel liked listening to them share about their lives. He didn’t have much experience with family, but if this was what it entailed, he could get used to it.

  Once the meal concluded, Daniel stood from the table. “Thank you for having me for lunch.”

  “Thank you for making my new sign,” June said in return. “The meal was the least I can do.”

  “I haven’t had a home cooked one in years. It was a true pleasure.”

  “You should come every day,” Ben declared. “Can he, Ma, can he?”

  “That’s up to Daniel,” June replied, giving Daniel a hesitant look. “Of course, he’s welcome to come over any time.”

  As Daniel left the Hillman home, he wondered if he would take June up on her offer and come by on a regular basis. He hadn’t come back into town expecting to start up where they’d left off years ago, but he couldn’t walk away from a second chance with her, could he?

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, June woke Ben up early and got them both ready for church. She looked forward to hearing the sermon by Pastor Elkins and seeing her fellow church goers. Unfortunately, she had never gotten used to the church in Glenda, not that there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn’t the same as her hometown church. She never felt like she fit in with the people who attended.

  “Will there be kids there? Will they be nice to me?” Ben asked, his bottom lip trembling as he gave June a look of concern.

  “Yes, Ben, there will be plenty of children there for you to play with. You’re going to have a nice time with all of them,” June reassured him. Despite this, she wondered how the other kids would treat her son considering he was new to town and his father was deceased. Kids could be cruel, even at a young age, and she hoped they didn’t pick on him because of his past.

  June finished putting on her son’s shoes, then grabbed her shawl and small tapestry bag before heading out the door. As they walked the short distance to the white wooden church, Ben asked her questions about the different stores and houses along the way. She patiently answered all his questions, explaining how she knew each family and their connection.

  They arrived at church along with several other townspeople, who stopped and greeted them. June let Ben run off to play with the other kids. He seemed to be instantly making friends to June’s relief.

  Becky Hayes, her best friend growing up in Belle, came rushing up to her side, followed by two women she didn’t recognize.

  “You’re back! I’m so excited to have you home,” Becky gushed, throwing her arms around her friend and causing her blonde curls to tickle June’s nose. “Belle hasn’t been the same without you.”

  “It’s good to see you, too,” June said, hugging her friend in return. “I’ve missed you.”

  Becky released June from her grip, gesturing to the other two women next to them. “Let me introduce you to the Cornell sisters. This proper lady is Carrie Elizabeth,” Becky said, putting her arm around a pretty brown-haired girl with matching eyes, and an elegant look about her. “And this is Kate,” she said, placing her arm through the other woman’s arm. She seemed a little less reserved than her sister. “They’ve become my very good friends, which means I know they will become the same for you, June.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kate said with a friendly smile that made her brown eyes twinkle.

  “Becky speaks highly of you,” Carrie Elizabeth added.

  “Thank you both for being so gracious in welcoming me. Though Belle is where I grew up, so many new people are here now. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I started to settle back into life here.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that, June. When you’re ready, you should join our knitting group on Tuesdays,” Becky offered.

  “And please come to our women’s auxiliary meetings on Fridays,” Carrie Elizabeth suggested.

  “Right now, we’re planning the town’s Fourth of July celebration,” Katie explained. “We can use all the help we can get.”

  Carrie Elizabeth glanced around and lowered her voice saying, “Everyone is taking their seats. We should probably do the same.”

  “We’ll talk more after church,” Becky whispered, leaning towards her friend. “In the meantime, why don’t you come sit with my family and me.”

  “I’d like that,” June said, gesturing for Ben to join her before they went inside.

  The congregation took their spots amongst the dozen pews, then pulled out their hymnals to sing several songs. Once the worship was over, Pastor Elkins took to the front of the church greeting everyone from behind the pulpit.

  “Good morning, my fellow brothers and sisters, I’m grateful to see all of your familiar faces, along with some old faces that have returned,” he said, looking directly at June. “It does my heart good to see a member return to the flock God has seen good enough to let me shepherd.”

  Pastor Elkins continued to talk about how God often changes our paths to give His people second chances. He explained that though the change in direction can sometimes be difficult, God does it for the person’s good.

  Was that what was going on with her? Had God changed her direction so she would give Daniel a second chance?

  The sermon ended with a prayer, and the congregation stood to their feet, ready to exit. As they made their way out, June was surprised to see Daniel at the back of the church. He must have come in while everyone was taking their seats.

  June made her way over to his side, giving him a smile as she approached.

  “Hello, Daniel,” Ben shouted with a giant grin.

  “Good morning, Ben,” he greeted in return. Then looking at June, he added, “Good morning, June.”

  “Good morning, Daniel,” she greeted back.

  “Can I go play outside?” Ben asked with excitement. “I want to play with my new friends.”

  “Of course you can, Ben. I’ll come get you when it’s time to leave.” Turning her attention to Daniel once more, she inquired, “How is your leg doing?”

  Part of her hoped he was mending for his sake, but another part of her hated the idea of it since it would mean he would be traveling for work once again. Though she shouldn’t let herself, she found herself wanting him to stay close by.

  “It’s fine; doing much better. I should be able to go on the next drive without a problem.”

  “Are you sure about that?” she probed further, after noticing a stain on his pant leg. “You have blood seeping through your pants. You must have reopened your wound.”

  Daniel glanced down at it, his eyes growing wide with shock. “I didn’t notice,” he admitted.

  “You should come over to my place and let me take a look at it,” June offered. After he didn’t answer right away, she wondered if he didn’t want to come over to her place. Embarrassed, she added, “Or if you don’t want to do that, you could go by Dr. Mason’s place instead.”

  Before he could respond though, Jason Shepherd, the Mayor of Belle, came up beside June saying, “Good morning, Mrs. Hillman. I wanted to let you know, I saw your new sign today on my way to church. It looks fantastic. I’m sure everyone in town will be pleased with it.”

  “Thank you,” June said. Then gesturing over at Daniel, she added, “Actually though, Daniel deserves all the credit. He’s the one who took care of it for me.”

  “Yes, but I’m sure you’re the brains behind the brawns,” he said, giving only a momentary glance at Daniel before turning his attention back to June. “You seem the type of woman to know exactly what you want and make sure to get it.”

  June didn’t know what to make of the mayor’s comment. If she didn’t know any better, she would swear that he was flirting with her.

  “June, I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Daniel in
terrupted, moving closer to her until their arms were almost touching. “I think we should have lunch together too, and I think we should leave now.”

  This time, the mayor’s attention focused on Daniel and remained there. “I was talking with Mrs. Hillman. I’d appreciate it if you let me finish my conversation with her, if you don’t mind.”

  “I do mind, since you’re the one who interrupted our conversation in the first place,” Daniel countered. “You’re the one who should leave right now.”

  “Are you going to try to make me?” Jason challenged, moving towards Daniel until they were only inches from each other. “I’ll have you know—”

  “Gentleman, there’s no need to argue,” June interrupted, stepping between the two men and gently pushing them apart. “I appreciate you stopping by to compliment my new sign, Mr. Shepherd, but Daniel is right. We were about to leave. Have a good day, sir.”

  June placed her hand on Daniel’s arm and let him escort her out of the church.

  Never would she have thought the man who had run away from her would end up nearly fighting the mayor over her. What a surprising turn of events!

  “What was that all about? You sure didn’t seem to like the mayor talking to me.”

  “I didn’t, especially when it looked like he was flirting with you,” Daniel admitted. “I can’t seem to keep myself from getting jealous any time another man talks to you.”

  June was surprised at Daniel’s confession. They’d only been spending time together a couple of days, but it seemed some of the old feelings must be returning for him too.

  “You needn’t worry about that. I’m not interested in taking up with any man. I’m too busy taking care of Ben and the apothecary to make time for a new relationship.”

  At least that’s what she kept telling herself every time she felt her heart speed up when Daniel was nearby. She shouldn’t let him affect her that way, but it seemed she had no control over it.

  “Ben, it’s time to go,” June called to her son once they were at the bottom steps of the church.

  The three of them headed towards the apothecary, Ben going on about his new friends and how much he liked them. At any time, June could have dropped her hand from Daniel’s arm and put some distance between them, but instead, she continued to let it rest there, with their bodies in close proximity. The feel of his strong arm beneath her delicate hand was a welcome comfort, and she realized, she was in trouble. Daniel Wentworth was finding a way to worm his way not only back into her life, but into her heart as well.