Tame a Wild Bride, a Western Romance (10 page)

That’s right.
 
Very good,” praised Rosie.
 
“You’re doing great with your numbers.”

She finished the shirt, hung it up and started another while the iron was still hot.

Ben beamed with pride.

“That’s great, son.”
 
Tom said from the doorway to the outside.

“Papa.
 
You were listening?”

“From the seaweed farming on.”

“Do you agree with us on how seaweed would taste?”

“I do.
 
It seems reasonable to me.
 
I don’t know that I would want to try it.
 
Give me steak and potatoes any day.”

“Speaking of food, said Rosie, as she continued to iron.
 
“We need supplies.
 
My stores of flour and sugar are sorely depleted and since we didn’t go to town yesterday, I’d like to go tomorrow.”

Tom nodded.
 
“I’ll arrange for someone to take you.”

“No need.
 
I can drive the team myself and Sadie’s husband, Gordon, will load the wagon for me.”

“Are you sure you can handle the team.
 
It will be your first time for such a long distance.”

She set the iron on the stove to heat up again.
 
“I’ll be fine.
 
It’s time for me to do it alone.”

“You’re right.
 
Leave early so you’re back before sunset.”

“I will.
 
Don’t worry.”

Rosie got up two hours before sunrise.
 
She hurried through her morning chores, the lantern in her hand shedding light on the path in front of her.

For breakfast, she made fried steak, bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs, fresh biscuits with butter and chokecherry jelly.
 
She had four pies she’d baked last night and she set out two for breakfast.
 
The rest she put on the warming shelf on the stove so it would still be hot when the men came in.

Then she started lunch.
 
Along with the pinto beans she’d been soaking overnight, she made a stew.
 
She flavored the beans with a couple of ham hocks.
 
She baked more biscuits, some corn bread and put out two loaves of bread and the other two pies.

The men worked hard and ate great quantities of food to sustain them.
 
Not one of them was fat.
 
All were lean and muscular like Tom.
 
Rosie was hard pressed to cook enough food at every meal to satisfy their needs.
 
She baked twenty loaves of bread every week.
 
Made fresh biscuits with every meal.
 
There was always a couple of pies or cakes or cobblers to supplement every meal.
 
She kept a pot of stew or beans going all the time so whenever the men got hungry there would be something for them to eat.

Because she would be gone for the noon meal, Orvie would cook the main part of it.
 
This included the meat, today fried steak and roasted pork.
 
Some kind of potato, fresh vegetables, if there are any in the garden, but knowing Orvie, he’ll just pull some canned goods out of the pantry rather than go look in the garden for fresh ones.

At the last minute, Tom said, “I remembered things I need to get, too.
 
So I’m going with you.”

Rosie wasn’t really disappointed.
 
She’d actually hoped he would change his mind.
 
She wasn’t looking forward to the long drive alone.

“We have to get supplies besides just the food stuffs you need and I can help Gordon load.
 
He’ll appreciate it.”

“Afraid, I’ll get on the first train out of town?” she teased.

“Nope.
 
You love my children too much.”

He was right she did love the children.
 
And she was beginning to care for their father as well.

She laughed.
 
“I’ll be glad for the company.”

Wonderful!
 
It would seem like a vacation.
 
No more housework for one day.
 
Oh, it would still be waiting when she got back but that didn’t matter.
 
She was always behind anyway.

“Well, get moving,” he said.
 
“Daylight’s burning.
 
If you’re real lucky I’ll buy you noon dinner at Mary’s.”

Then he did the strangest thing.
 
He playfully swatter her butt like they were an old married couple instead of newly wed and yet to bed.

“I’m on my way, just let me grab my bonnet and a jacket.”

“Better grab a rain coat.”

“I don’t have a rain coat.
 
The research I did indicated that this is a dry climate.”

“We are a dry climate but that doesn’t mean we don’t get rain.”
 
He went to the coat closet and pulled out a rain slicker.
 
“Here.
 
Take this one.
 
It was Sarah’s and I just never seemed to get rid of it.”

She took the slicker from him glad of it and wanted to burn it at the same time.
 
He’d done a pretty good job of removing all traces of his late wife, but every once in a while she found something.
 
Bath salts in a drawer in the commode under the pitcher and basin.
 
A blouse still hanging in the wardrobe mixed in with his shirts.
 
She’d gotten rid of the things herself, not wanting any reminders of the woman who was still making life miserable for those she left behind.

She put the slicker underneath the buckboard bench and then Tom helped her up onto it.

“You’re still going to drive today,” he said.

She nodded.
 
“I’m ready for this, but a little nervous at the same time.”

“I’ll be here if something goes wrong.
 
Just remember to keep their heads up and swat their butts to keep them going.”

Rosie took a deep breath and flicked the reins onto the horses’ butts.
 
“Giddy up.”

To her great surprise they started moving.

She looked over at Tom and a grin split his face.
 
She’d like to see more of those.

He didn’t make her drive the whole trip.
 
Thank goodness.
 
She was so nervous, that by the time he took the reins, her back hurt so badly from holding tension while she drove the buckboard, she could hardly move.
 
A groan escaped her as she relaxed against the back of the bench seat.

“You’re going to have to learn to relax more when you drive or you won’t be able to move when you get to town.
 
You’ll be coming to town on your own sometimes.”

“I expected to at some point but why do you say so?”

“Because when I’m with the cattle, whether during branding season or on a cattle drive, I won’t be able to take you.
 
You need to learn to do things by yourself.”

“I’m surprised you’d let me go anywhere by myself.
 
Aren’t you afraid I’ll leave and never come back?”

“I’m prepared for the day you leave.
 
But I won’t have you be a prisoner just to prevent it.
 
I have to be able to trust you.
 
So I do.
 
Besides, I think you’re getting attached to my children.”

“Of course, I am.
 
They’re wonderful.”
 
I’m getting attached to their father, too.

He laughed.
 
“I knew you would and you’re not the type to go when you’re wanted.”

“So you finally believe I’m going to stay?”

“No.
 
I still figure you’ll leave, just not right away.”

“You’re just crazy.
 
She has made you crazy.
 
I’m not leaving.
 
Not today, tomorrow or anytime.
 
You’re stuck with me, Tom.”
 
She took off her riding gloves and slapped them to her lap.
 
“You better get used to it.”

He just smiled at her little tirade.
 
“We’ll see.”

By the time they got to town, Rosie’s anger had long since burned away.
 
The rest of the trip was enjoyable.
 
She and Tom talked about mundane things.
 
Talked more than they had in the previous twelve days put together.

He pulled up in front of the mercantile.

“You go do what you need to do inside.
 
I’m going to the bank and got some other errands to run.
 
I’ll be back here in about an hour.”

“Good.
 
It will give me a chance to catch up on all the latest gossip from Sadie.”

He walked away shaking his head and muttering, “Women.”

She smiled and went inside.

“Hi, Mrs. Harris.
 
How’re you settling in?”

“First, call me Rosie and second, I’m settling in rather well I think.
 
Once I get my chores down pat I’ll be fine.
 
The kids are wonderful and Tom, well he’s Tom.
 
What else can I say?”

Sadie nodded sagely.
 
“Well, give me your order and we can talk while I fill it.”

“Before we do the regular order, do you have a catalog of ladies clothing that I could look through?
 
Maybe have you order something for me.”

“I’ve got all sorts of catalogs, from Sears & Roebuck to Montgomery Ward to Madam Trousseau’s book of lingerie.
 
Which one you want first?”

“That one,” she pointed at Madam Trousseau’s book, “I want to look at that one.”

Sadie looked at her a little puzzled but gave her the catalogue.
 
It was a thin tome, probably forty or fifty pages.

Rosie started perusing it quickly.
 
She had to have this done long before Tom got back.

“Can you order anything out of here?”

“Sure.
 
What do you have in mind?”

Rosie pointed at the picture of a white negligee.

“Wow!
 
That’s one pretty piece of frew frew.
 
You must have something special coming up.”

“Oh, I do.”
 
It was all she was going to say.
 
Telling Sadie anything was like telegraphing it all over town.
 
She was taking a chance ordering this as it was.
 
“Sadie, you have to promise me you won’t say anything to anyone about this.
 
Please.
 
It’s very important.”

“Alright.
 
You can count on me.
 
But when it comes in, I expect you to let me in on the secret.
 
Deal.”

“Deal.”
 
She hoped by that time she wouldn’t have a secret.
 
Wouldn’t need what she’d just ordered.
 
Wouldn’t have to seduce her husband.
 
She hoped he will already have seduced her.

*****

The next morning, after breakfast, Tom took Rosie aside.