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new bed. At the foot of the bed was a tall wooden divider. One would only have to pull it a few feet to have complete privacy in the bedroom.
    She moved to the cradle and laid the baby inside. His sleeping face pouted for a moment before he sighed and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Satisfied he was comfortable, she went back outside to the porch.
    She stared at the barn, wondering how long it would be before Caleb would come inside. She picked up her bag and the baby’s things and stepped back inside the house. She placed them on the bed then walked to the foot of the stairs. She gripped the post rail, tempted to run up and check whether there was another bedroom or only storage up there.
    She heard the scraping of boots against wooden steps and knew the time had come. She wrung her hands together nervously and tiptoed to the baby’s side. No help would be forthcoming from the little tyke. His steady breathing told her deep sleep had captured him.
    * * *
    â€œAnyone home?” Caleb called as he entered the house. He felt out of place in his own house.
    She stepped from behind the bedroom divider. “I’m here.”
    Caleb came further into the room. He pulled out a chair and sank into it, his knees suddenly weak. “I think you and I should talk. Really talk.”
    He studied her quite openly, watching her inch forward, her bottom lip caught between pearly white teeth. She paused in uncertainty then seemed to gather her courage. Somehow she managed to face him, finely arched eyebrows raised in question. “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”
    He motioned to the only other available chair then waited till she was seated. “For starters, we really don’t know each other, and we need to. Maybe we should have had this conversation earlier, but since we didn’t, I think now would be a good time. Don’t you?”
    Julianne nodded, but when she didn’t say anything, Caleb began to doubt he’d done the right thing by initiating a personal conversation so soon. He should have simply said good-night and gone to bed. Never one to beat the devil around the stump he continued. “I’ll start.”
    Receiving no encouragement from her whatsoever, he began hesitantly. “I’m from New York. I moved here in fifty-nine. I was nineteen years old and green as a gourd.” He chuckled softly. “My sister, Estelle, and her husband had just gotten married, and I decided I needed to start a life of my own rather than invade their privacy, them being newlyweds and all.” Caleb paused.
    â€œPlease go on.” Julianne moved forward in her chair.
    Finally! Caleb crossed his arms on the table. “I hired on with William Taylor here at the logging camp.” He stopped and took a deep breath.
    â€œMy sister wrote and told me her husband had been wounded in the War Between the States. He seemed to recover, although his leg never fully healed. Then infection set in and they had to amputate. He died in November. Estelle was three months pregnant with their first child so I sent the fare for her to come here and live with me. She was supposed to arrive five days ago.” His voice broke with huskiness and his eyes stung. “Instead, the captain met me with the news that my sister had died in childbirth aboard his ship just two short days before arriving.”
    â€œI’m so sorry, Caleb.” Her hand covered his, and then he watched the shock of discovery hit her full force. “Jonathan?”
    â€œIs her son.”
    Her lip trembled and she closed her eyes for a brief moment. Caleb felt helpless, and for the first time in his life, he was speechless.
    â€œSo Jonathan’s just seven days old.” Her voice sounded vague but he knew that could be deceptive since one expression after another crossed her features. When she looked at him again, her eyes were filled with compassion and something he couldn’t quite define. She brushed the back