Mail Order Meddler (6 page)

He washed his hands and walked over to where they sat, smiling down at them.  “My two ladies, hard at work.”

Tracy looked up and rolled her neck.  “Let me put dinner on the table.”  They were later than she’d expected, so she’d shoved everything into the cooling oven to keep it warm while she and Mattie sewed.

Andy caught her around the waist before she could walk away, kissing her softly.  She looked up at him with wide round eyes.  Would he grab her and kiss her every chance he got?  It certainly seemed that way. 
And she definitely didn’t have it in her to complain.

She rushed to pull dinner from the oven and put it on the table.  Everything was set.  Mattie got the milk and poured it for everyone, while Tracy put the big bowl with pot roast, carrots and potatoes onto the center of the table.  She’d baked some fresh dinner rolls and they were cooling on the work table.  She piled them into a bread basket, and put them out as well. 

Once she’d taken her seat, she bowed her head, waiting for Andy to pray.  The family ate more slowly this time, obviously getting used to the fact that there would be good foods to sustain them for a while.

After his first bite, Andy looked at Tracy, his eyes twinkling.  “This is delicious.  I never would have thought Francis would be so good at picking out a wife.”

Tracy blushed.   “He’s a smart young man.  Polite, too.  We’ll find him a wife soon.”

Francis choked on his pot roast.  “I’m not quite ready to marry yet.  I’m only sixteen.”

Tracy smiled, winking at Andy.  “I have just the girl in mind.  She was one of the girls in the orphanage.  You don’t mind an older woman, do you?”  She was teasing him, of course, because there had been no girls even close to her age at the orphanage.  Most girls were adopted as soon as they were old enough to be considered helpful around someone’s home.  She hadn’t been up for adoption because of the letter left in her basket.

Francis’s eyes were wide with panic as he shook his head.  “I need to wait until I’m at least twenty-five to marry.”

Andy looked at Francis.  “You didn’t think I should wait that long.”  Andy could tell that Tracy was teasing his brother, so he decided to help.

“But that was different!  I was about to start clubbing you over the head with beef jerky if we didn’t get a decent meal.”  Francis took another bite of his potatoes as he talked.

Andy chuckled.  “We did eat a lot of beef jerky.”

“Yes, we did.  Way too much!” Arthur said, making a face.  “If I’d had to eat beef jerky one more time, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“Killed me?” Andy asked with a smile.  He knew his family had been sick of beef jerky, but they’d rarely complained about it to him.  They’d all known he was doing the best he could with what he had available.

“At least you were smart enough to marry Tracy.  She’s pretty, smart, and she can
cook
!” Arthur said.  “It’s about time you did something right.”

Tracy stifled a giggle at the banter.  The younger brothers had always been so respectful of Andy that she was genuinely surprised to hear them talk that way.

Andy’s eyes met Tracy’s.  “Smartest thing I ever did.”

Tracy blushed, not believing he was talking that way.  Maybe he was genuinely starting to have feelings for her.  More likely he was trying to find a way to get her to stay
and keep cooking.

After dinner, she and Mattie did the dishes, while the boys relaxed around the table.  Sunday was a day of rest, so only necessary chores would be done.  Tracy was glad.  Her body was starting to ache with the constant work she was doing. 
Having a day off would be good for her.

After the dishes were finished, she put a pot of beans on to soak.  She’d cook them on low the whole time they were at church, so they’d have a meal ready when they got home.  Mattie ran to get their sewing, and the two of them sat in rocking chairs working, while the three boys sat around the table and played a game with a deck of cards.

Once everyone was in bed, and she’d put her sewing away for the night, Andy asked her to sit and talk with him at the table again.  She took the seat next to him, but made sure she was out of arms reach.  She needed to talk to him as well.

She waited for a minute for him to say something.  When he didn’t, she broached the subject she wanted to talk about.  “I think you should keep your hands to yourself until I go.  I don’t want to risk doing something that would keep
us from being able to easily dissolve our marriage.”  Not really, but…she couldn’t stay with things between them as they were.

Andy sighed heavily.  “Do you really think we’re going to be able to easily dissolve our marriage regardless?  We’re not, you know.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve seen how you are with Mattie.  You can’t tell me you’re not growing to love her.  We’re all going to be on the floor hugging your legs begging you not to leave us like a group of toddlers whose mother is about to run away forever.”
  He shook his head. 

Tracy smiled at the picture his words painted in her mind.  “You will?  That could be…interesting.”

He scooted his chair closer to hers, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.  “I know I wasn’t kind to you your first day here.  I was still in shock that Francis had sent for a wife without even telling me.”  He looked into her eyes, trying to make her understand.  “Now that I’ve gotten to know you a little, I realize that I want you to stay.  Please say you’ll stay with me.”  He needed her to agree to stay for him, not for his siblings, but he didn’t add that.  With the way he’d behaved, he had no right to ask for that.

“What will I do when you change your mind again and decide that life was better before you married me?”  She shook her head.  “No one has ever wanted me around.  My mother dumped me on the steps of an orphanage when I was a few weeks old.  The people in the orphanage took care of me, because that’s what people in orphanages do.  Every friend I ever had got adopted as soon as we became close.”  She pushed the strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun away from her face.  “I can’t stay here with someone else who doesn’t want me.”

Andy closed his eyes for a moment, regretting the pain he’d caused her.  “I’m sorry I added to the pain you already felt.  I never meant to do that.  Please stay with us.  We all want you to stay and be part of our family.”  He scooped her out of her chair and pulled her into his lap.  “Me most of all.”

His lips met hers before she could answer him, and this time his kiss wasn’t filled with passion.  It was a healing kiss, letting her know with his actions that he truly was sorry for the things he’d done.  She sighed against his lips, her hands going to his shoulders to keep steady.  When she lifted her head, she was seriously considering his words.  She wanted so badly to be wanted and needed by someone
that she was willing to grasp at straws to get there.  “I don’t know.”

He pulled her face down for another soft kiss, sensing that she was softening.  "Please.  I’ll get down on my knees and beg if you need me to.”  He couldn’t imagine letting her go.  It wasn’t just the cooking.  She was a pretty, intelligent, loving woman.   He needed her for his sister and his brothers.  More importantly, though, he needed her for himself. 

She leaned down and initiated a kiss with him for the first time ever, her lips dancing across his.  “You don’t have to beg.  I’ll stay.”  She sank against him, not realizing until then that she’d been holding herself rigid on his lap, so as little of her body would touch his as possible.  As soon as she agreed, she snuggled close to him.

He took one of her legs and lifted it over his lap to the other side of his hips.  She was then facing him on his lap, and he pulled her down closer to him, deepening the kiss and stroking her soft curves.  “Thank you,” he whispered against her lips.

Tracy was surprised at how intimately she could feel him through their clothes.  They shouldn’t be touching this way in the kitchen.  Even she knew that.  What if one of the children came down the stairs for a drink of water?  She blushed at the very idea.  Pulling her head up, she said, “I’m going to get ready for bed.  Give me five minutes?” she asked.

He shook his head.  “I’m not letting you out of my sight.  I’m afraid you’re going to change your mind.”  He helped her off his lap and got to his feet, holding her hand tightly in his as he led her to their bedroom. 

“I made a promise.  I don’t go back on my promises.”  Tracy tried to push him out the door so she could undress.

“I trust you.  I just don’t want to let you go.”  He kicked the door shut, and kissed her gently, his hands stroking up and down her arms.  “Let me help you get ready for bed.”

Tracy pulled back and looked at him in surprise.  “I know how to change into my nightgown.”

Andy smiled, his lips toying with hers once more.  “You’re not going to wear a nightgown tonight, sweetheart.”

She was surprised to hear him use the endearment.  Sure, she knew he wanted her in his bed, and he wanted her to cook for him and his brothers and sister, but sweetheart?  Really?  “I couldn’t sleep without a nightgown.” She was embarrassed at the very idea.

“Sleeping naked is freeing.  Trust me.”  His hands went to the buttons at the front of her gown and slowly worked them out of their holes.  Once he was finished, he spread the bodice of her dress wide open, looking at her in just her petticoat and corset.  He pushed the dress off her shoulders, his hands smoothing over her.  “You wear too many clothes,” he whispered. 

She blushed, swallowing hard.  “I wear the same amount as any decent woman.”

He chuckled.  “But at night, when there’s no one around but us, I want you to be
in
decent.”  He pulled her to him again, kissing her passionately, his hands going behind her to work at the strings of her corset.  He’d never helped a woman out of her clothes, or seen one with nothing on before, and his hands were shaking as he helped this woman remove her undergarments. 

Tracy stood docilely, enjoying his kiss
es and allowing him to undress her.  She felt she was being naughty allowing him to get so close to her, but she also knew he was her husband and had the right to touch her in any way he wanted.

He dropped the corset to the floor and pushed the strap of her petticoat off her shoulder.  “Your skin is like velvet.”  His lips trailed across her cheek, his tongue licking at the place where her neck and shoulder met. 

She shivered in the hot night air.  A jolt of feeling shot right through her body and she sighed, as she leaned her head to the side to give him better access.  “I really should put my nightgown on.”  She felt the need to protest one last time, but she hoped he wouldn’t agree.  What he was doing to her felt so good she never wanted it to stop. 

He pushed the petticoat off her shoulders into a pool on the floor and she stood before him wearing nothing.  She’d taken off her socks and shoes much earlier, because it was so much cooler to go without.  His hands roamed up and down her nude body, cupping her buttocks and pulling her against him.  “I want you,” he whispered against her lips.

Tracy hadn’t realized until that moment that he was still fully clothed while she stood nude before him.  She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, not knowing if she was being too brazen, but she wanted to be able to touch him like he was touching her.  She slid her fingers inside his shirt once it was unbuttoned and toyed with the smooth skin there.

Andy scooped her up into his arms and carried her the few feet to the bed, coming down beside her, pressing his lips to hers.  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he whispered softly.  “I can’t believe you’re going to stay here with me forever.”

Tracy smiled, her hand going up to stroke his cheek.  “I’ve always needed to be wanted.  Here, I feel like I’m needed.  Like I’m important to people.”

His fingers danced across her bare breast, taking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and toying with it gently as he lowered his head for another kiss.  “We do need you.  All four of us.”

His hands overwhelmed her as they stroked her wildly.  She wanted nothing more in the world than to be loved by this man.  She wasn’t sure yet what she felt for him, but she knew he was her husband, the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, so nothing less than love would do.

As he gathered her to him and made her his wife, she clung to his broad shoulders, kissing him passionately.  Afterwards she lay in his arms, snuggled close to him.  “Did I hurt you?” he asked.

She shook her head.  Truthfully there had been a little pain, but mostly it had felt simply glorious.  “No.”  She kissed his chin.  “I’m glad it was you I married and not someone else.”

He sighed, hugging her close, his hands unable to stop roaming over her body even though he was now sated.  “I am too.”

As she closed her eyes, she had a smile on her face.  She would be going with him to church in the morning as his true wife.

Chapter Five

The following morning was hectic as Tracy washed Mattie’s hair for her and gave her a bath after breakfast.  She had meant to bathe her the night before, but she’d forgotten, so she had woken Andy up extra early to have him carry the tub in and help her fill it.  They had each bathed before emptying the tub and refilling it.  She washed Mattie immediately after breakfast, but they left the tub in their bedroom for the boys to take their turns in.

Tracy sat Mattie on the floor at her feet
in the kitchen and combed the tangles from her long blond hair.  She then braided it carefully and pinned it atop Mattie’s head, making sure it looked just right for church.  Tracy looked at the old dress the young girl was wearing and wished she’d taken the time to make her a new one.  It was clean, but it was much too small.  It barely covered her knees.  By next Sunday she’d have the new dress made, even if it meant staying up all night on Saturday night getting it ready.

All three of the males wore shirts and ties for Sunday dress, but the shirts were too tight.  The two boys had pants that were too short.  She had a lot of sewing to do to make them look how they should.
  She was tired just thinking about the work her new family was causing her, but it was a good tired. 

Just before leaving the house, Tracy put the pot of beans onto the stove to boil so they would be ready when they arrived home.  It wasn’t her favorite dish, but it would be ready when they arrived home, so it made sense that it was what she fixed.

The drive to town seemed much shorter than usual, and Tracy was excited to meet the other people at church.  She had been to church every Sunday since she was a small child, so it felt strange that she’d missed the two weeks before, even though she’d been on a train and there had been no way she could make it.

“Is everyone friendly?” she asked Andy as she sat close to him on the seat.  He used one hand to drive the gentle team and the other held hers tightly. 

Andy smiled down at her.  “It’s a congregation made up of the ranching families in the area and all their hands.  It’s primarily men, so you will be the center of attention.”

Tracy sighed.  “Stay close to me then.  I don’t want other men touching me like what happened in town the other day.”
  She hadn’t enjoyed John’s attentions, but she had secretly liked how Andy had reacted to the other man.  She didn’t think Andy would have come around nearly as quickly if he hadn’t realized there were other men interested in her as well.

“You didn’t tell them we were unhappy, did you?  Because if you did, it will be all over town already.”

Tracy shook her head.  “I barely got a word in edgewise.  They knew we were married, but I didn’t say much more.”

“Thank you for not shaming me in front of the town.”  Andy took a deep breath.  “I probably deserved it.”

“No, you didn’t.  You reacted in a normal way.  Your brother sent away for a bride for you.  How were you supposed to react?”  Tracy understood his motivation behind what he’d said better now, because she’d taken the time to think about it and not just see things through her own eyes and hurt feelings.

“As soon as I saw you, I should have gotten down on the ground and kissed his feet.”

Tracy laughed.  “I know I’m not a raving beauty.”  She looked back over her shoulder at Mattie.  “I have a feeling Mattie will be, though.  It’s going to be fun to see what kind of man she’s attracted to.”

Andy shook his head.  “It will.  I hope she’s only attracted to good men.  The idea of her marrying a man who isn’t good for her is frightening.”

He stopped the wagon in front of the church and set the brake.  She could see that several families simply left their wagons in the churchyard, and it looked as if that’s what he would do as well.  The three in the back got down quickly and went to talk with their friends.  She noted that Francis immediately went to a group of boys who were standing beside the church talking about something, while Mattie went to a group of young girls, and Arthur went to a group of boys who were throwing a ball.

Andy walked around the wagon and helped her down, his arm automatically going around her waist.  “Would you like me to introduce you to a few of the wives?”

Tracy nodded, feeling strange that he would automatically introduce her to other wives instead of girls in school.  Yes, she was a wife, but she had been a girl in school just a couple of weeks before.  It was odd how her life had changed so quickly.

He made the rounds with her introducing her to the five women who attended the church.  There were at least fifty people there, but as he’d said, most were ranch hands.  There were a few children, which balanced things out a little.  Tracy found herself the center of attention with man after man coming over and letting her know that if she got tired of Andy they would be waiting. 

As soon as they went to their seats, she leaned over to whisper, “Don’t they believe in marriage?”

“Yes, they do, but they want a wife, and don’t know how to find one.”
  His lips against her ear sent a shiver of passion through her body.  She immediately felt guilty about feeling that way in church, but she didn’t know how to stop it.  God had given her feelings of passion, hadn’t He?

Mattie sat down in the pew next to Tracy.  “I’ll give them Elizabeth’s address.”

“Who’s Elizabeth?” he asked. 

“The owner of the mail order bride agency that placed me with you.”  She watched as Arthur and Francis slipped into the pew on the other side of Tracy.

The sermon was short and sweet, and Tracy was shocked when at the end, she was welcomed into the community and invited to stand by the pastor.  She stood, blushing, wishing he hadn’t done that but at the same time understanding she’d get to know people faster that way.

One of the women she’d met before,
Abigail, a girl near her age with a baby on her hip, rushed to her side after the sermon.  “Would your family like to join ours for Sunday dinner?”

Tracy looked at
Andy who didn’t give any indication that he cared one way or the other.  “I have a pot of beans on the stove cooking.  Maybe next week?”

Abigail nodded.  “We’d like that.  I’ll see you then.”

After several minutes of visiting with others, Tracy followed Andy to the wagon.  He helped her up onto the seat, and the kids climbed into the back.  “The people here seem really nice,” Tracy said to Andy.

“Oh, they are.  I think you’ll like it here.  It’s just like any small town, though, so don’t tell anyone anything you don’t want the entire town to be talking about next week.”

Tracy smiled.  “I’ll do my best.” 

*****

The man impeccably dressed man with shiny black shoes caused a sensation as he stepped off the train in Nowhere.  He went straight to the mercantile, because that seemed the place to get information. 

George, the proprietor, looked up from his dusting.  “What can I do for
ya?”

“I’m looking for a woman who I am told has just moved here.  Her name is Tracy.”

George frowned slightly.  “What about her?”  He was wary as he asked the question, his eyes darkening and he immediately looked unfriendly.

“I’ve been hired to find her.  Do you know where she is?”

While the town was small, and constantly talking about their own, they didn’t do so to strangers.  Tracy may have been a newcomer to Nowhere, but she was also one of their own now that she’d married Andy Harvey.  “Never heard of her.”

“So you’re saying that no young woman has moved to this town?”

George shrugged.  “I couldn’t say.”  He turned his back and made it clear the conversation was over.  When he got a chance, he’d send his son who helped him in the store out to let the Harveys know someone was looking for Tracy.  They could decide what to do with the information.

*****

Mattie looked up from her sewing at the sound of horse’s hooves.  “Someone’s here.”

Tracy set down her own sewing and walked to the door.  The man in the yard didn’t look familiar to her, but that wasn’t surprising.  She’d met so many people the two Sundays she’d made it to church that there was no way she could possibly remember them all.  She stepped out into the yard and shaded her eyes, looking up at the man still atop his horse.  “Can I help you?”

“I need to talk to Andy.  He around?”

“He said they were moving the herd today.  I’m not sure where they are, though.  Can I help you with something?”

The man shook his head.  “Nope.  My pa said I need to talk to Andy and no one else.”  He tipped his hat to Tracy and Mattie, who had slipped up behind her, and rode off, obviously looking for Andy.

Tracy looked down at Mattie.  “Do you know who that was?”

Mattie nodded.  “He’s George’s son.”

“Who’s George?”

Mattie smiled.  “He’s the man who owns the mercantile.”

Tracy shrugged.  It must be something to do with business then.  “This second dress is almost done.  Just needs to be hemmed.  Are you ready to go try it on?”

Mattie smiled happily.  “Yes, please.”

The two made their way back into the house, and Tracy dismissed the man from her thoughts.  She had more important things to do.  If whatever he was there for was important, Andy would tell her.

*****

Andy looked worried when he came home that night, but he didn’t say anything to Tracy about what was wrong.  She waited until the others were in bed before walking up behind him and rubbing his shoulders.  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

The almost two weeks since they’d first gone to church together had passed quickly.  They spent their days working and their nights loving one another.  There was no doubt in Tracy’s mind that she’d done the right thing by marrying Andy and deciding to stay.  She was happier than she’d ever been with her new family in Texas.  Andy still hadn’t said he loved her, but that was fine.  They’d only known one another for two weeks after all.  It was enough that they enjoyed being together.

Andy shook his head.  He wasn’t sure if he should tell her about the man in town looking for her, but he decided against it.  In his experience, people who were looking for strangers were never up to any good. 
He opened his mouth to tell her, but decided against it at the last minute.  Hopefully the man would just move on.

“Nothing’s wrong except that I had to spend the whole day away from you.”  He caught her around the waist and pulled her into his lap, kissing her enthusiastically.

Tracy giggled.  “Not here.  I’m always afraid someone will wander down here and see us.”

“They all know I kiss you.  What’s wrong with seeing it?”

“It just wouldn’t be proper.”  She got off his lap and sat beside him in a chair.  “Would you like another piece of cake?  A glass of milk?”

“That would be great.”  He watched her as she got the milk and cake for both of them.  “Did you know any rich people back in Massachusetts?” he asked.

Tracy shook her head.  “Only Elizabeth Miller, the woman from the mail order bride agency, and I really didn’t know her.  Just met her a few times.”  She set the food on the table in front of Andy.  “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.  I’ve never really known a rich man.”

Tracy rolled her eyes.  “Are you going to turn into one of those men who can think of nothing but money?”

“Not at all.  I would like to provide a good home for my family, though.”

She smiled, her hand rubbing his arm.  “You already do that.”  Taking a bite of her cake, she pointed to his with her fork.  “There must be something wrong.  That cake has been in front of you for an entire minute, and there’s not a bite missing from it.”

He just shook his head, obviously lost in thought.  “No, nothing’s wrong.” 

Tracy worried as she finished her cake and washed their plates.  “I’m going to go get ready for bed,” she said.

He stood up.  “I’ll come with you.”

Tracy smiled, taking his hand and leading him toward the bedroom.  Hopefully she could distract him from whatever was wrong.

*****

Two days later, as they were heading to church, Andy still seemed nervous to Tracy.  She couldn’t put her finger on the problem, but it was obvious there was one.  He had seemed very distracted around her and was really only himself when they made love.

“I can’t wait to see Abigail today.  I want to ask her to make a couple of bows for Mattie’s hair.  She does such a great job with little Deborah’s bows.”
  Deborah was her new friend’s eight month old daughter.

Andy just nodded absently.  “You don’t mind if Mattie and I go see her one day this week so she could teach me to make them, do you?”
  She loved the idea of being able to make bows for Mattie.

“That’s fine.”

“Do you want me to make a cake for dessert tonight?  Or a pie?”

“That’s fine.”

Tracy frowned at Andy.  “I’ll make a pie and frost it with cow manure then.”  He obviously wasn’t listening to her.