Home Fires by Jana Richards Page B

will have a good marriage.”
    “I just want to make her happy.” Maybe if she was happy, she’d want to stay.
    She patted his hand. “You will.”
    A woman’s scream sounded over the noise of the band. The accordion player faltered, and then stopped playing. Again the woman screamed.
    “Help! My son is choking! He can’t breathe!”
    General confusion enveloped the community hall. A call went out to find the doctor, but everyone knew that by the time the doctor arrived from the next town the child could be dead. Erik watched Anne push her way through the crowd. He followed her as best he could. By the time he reached her, she was standing behind a small boy with her hands locked around his midsection.
    She spoke to the child in a calm voice. “Don’t worry, love. Everything’s going to be fine.”
    She pushed her hands upward, thrusting into his upper abdomen with enough force to lift the boy off his feet. Still he clutched at his throat, unable to breath. Anne pushed again. Something flew out of his mouth, landing several feet away. He began crying for his mother, who scooped him into her arms, tears streaming down her face.
    “Thank you, thank you! I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
    “I’m just glad he’s all right now.”
    The boy’s father shook Anne’s hand. “He coughed up a small piece of hard candy. It’s hard to believe something as simple as that almost killed him. I can’t thank you enough.”
    She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
    He put his hand on his wife’s shoulder as their son continued to cry in his mother’s arms. “I think we’ll head home. Congratulations on your wedding, and again, thank you.”
    “Good night.”
    Erik put his arm around Anne’s waist. “Well done, Mrs. Gustafson.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Gustafson. I was lucky. Those abdominal thrusts sometimes injure people, especially a child as tiny as this one.”
    Erik’s heart swelled with pride. She was an amazing woman. If she hadn’t known what to do, if she hadn’t remained calm, the boy would have died.
    He kissed her, not caring that the whole town watched. He loved her and probably had since the moment he met her at the train station. He knew he’d never love anyone as deeply as he loved Anne.
    For one moment he let himself hope that their marriage would last, that Anne would love him. But he knew too well the hardships of living on the farm. And he knew he wasn’t the man she wanted. But when she kissed him, he could almost believe he was.
    Erik locked away his feelings, afraid to hope.

Chapter Nine
    Anne and Erik drove the old truck back to the farm in the wee hours of the morning. The reception had been wonderful, so different from weddings she’d attended in England. She hadn’t expected the entire town to show up to wish them well. Anne snuggled deeper into the quilt Erik had bundled her in, feeling warm and happy sitting next to her husband.
    “It was good of Astrid’s friend to invite her and Ingrid to stay the night. She said she’d bring them home in time for milking tomorrow morning.”
    “They wanted to give us a little privacy on our wedding night.”
    Their wedding night. The thought of spending the night in Erik’s bed, wrapped in his arms, caused a thrill of anticipation to skitter up her spine. At the same time, her nerves flared. Would she make him happy? After tonight would he be sorry he’d jumped into marriage with her?
    Erik pulled the truck into the garage, and they walked across the snow-covered farmyard to the house in the moonlight. When Anne slipped in the snow in the high heels she’d brought from England, Erik snaked a hand around her waist to steady her, bringing her tightly against his side. He smiled down at her.
    “Hang on to me.”
    “I will.” For the rest of my life.
    The house was cold when they entered and Anne shivered despite the winter jacket she wore. The wedding gown, borrowed from one of Ingrid’s friends, was beautiful, but the