and get what you need for a couple of weeks. Then I’ll take you and the girls next time.”
“That sounds fine. It would be even better if you taught me to drive a team so I could go by myself when I need to.”
“I can do that. How about one day next week after breakfast?”
“Wonderful. When we go, if the produce is any good I’ll buy enough to can. Do you know if there are canning supplies anywhere? I doubt that Bertha has done any canning but Dorothy must have. I found some lovely peaches and blueberries in the cellar.”
“Did you check the pantry or the cupboards in the kitchen?”
“No. I thought I’d check with you as long as I was asking things.”
“I don’t know where they’d be. If you can’t find any, buy some at the mercantile.” He unclasped his hands from around her waist and she let go of his shoulders. “I should get back to work.”
“Me, too. I have to get dinner cooking. Do you have any requests for supper?”
“Whatever you fix will be wonderful. The men have been congratulating me on marrying well because of your cooking skills. You’ve made the two best meals we’ve had in years. Poor Bertha, she tried but it just isn’t something she’s good at.”
“I’m glad they like me for something.”
“I like you for something,” he waggled his eyebrows and winked at her.
“Oh my.” She knew she blushed again.
He laughed.
She turned and walked out of the barn, fanning herself as she went, his laughter followed her. She smiled.
* * *
Sarah finished with the breakfast dishes. She’d washed and Bertha rinsed and dried. Today was her first lesson in driving a team. She ran upstairs and checked her appearance in the mirror. She was going to spend some time alone with John that wasn’t in bed. Though she couldn’t complain about that. He was a very caring, generous lover. She always climaxed at least once. Usually more.
She pushed stray tendrils of hair back up into the knot on top of her head. It probably wouldn’t stay but no one could say she hadn’t tried. If she’d been back in New York she wouldn’t have dared to step out of the bedroom much less the house with a hair out of place. Aunt Gertrude would turn over in her grave if she saw Sarah now.
She ran down the stairs and out on to the front porch. John waited in the buggy, the smallest of their conveyances. As soon as he saw her he jumped down and came around to help her up into the seat. Then he went around and got back in.
“Okay. You ready?”
“Yes.” She could barely breathe; excitement about learning to drive was the least of her worries. Being this close to her husband and them both having clothes on was almost sexier than without. Almost.
She smiled up at him. “What do I do first?”
He handed her the reins. “First you take off the hand brake. I’m going to do it this time, but when you’re driving you’ll be in my seat and you’ll set it and release it. Always remember to set it. It won’t stop the horses from taking off if they were determined but it serves as a reminder to them they aren’t supposed to move.”
“Right. Brake.”
“Next you take the reins and give them a little flick of the wrist to swat the horses butt.”
She tried but wasn’t doing it right because the horses didn’t move so much as an inch.
He took them from her, “like this.” He jerked his wrists and the leather straps went up and came back down on the horses rumps and they started walking. “Now if you want them to go faster lift them and bring them back down and say ‘giddyup’.”
She nodded. “Giddyup.”
“Okay you try it.” He handed the reins back to her.
She slapped the them on the animals rumps and they started trotting.
“Good. Now turn them to the right.”
“How?”
“Pull on the right rein while leaving the left one alone. Just the right.”
She did and was surprised the horses actually went right like she wanted them to.
“I think you’ve got it. When you want them
“That sounds fine. It would be even better if you taught me to drive a team so I could go by myself when I need to.”
“I can do that. How about one day next week after breakfast?”
“Wonderful. When we go, if the produce is any good I’ll buy enough to can. Do you know if there are canning supplies anywhere? I doubt that Bertha has done any canning but Dorothy must have. I found some lovely peaches and blueberries in the cellar.”
“Did you check the pantry or the cupboards in the kitchen?”
“No. I thought I’d check with you as long as I was asking things.”
“I don’t know where they’d be. If you can’t find any, buy some at the mercantile.” He unclasped his hands from around her waist and she let go of his shoulders. “I should get back to work.”
“Me, too. I have to get dinner cooking. Do you have any requests for supper?”
“Whatever you fix will be wonderful. The men have been congratulating me on marrying well because of your cooking skills. You’ve made the two best meals we’ve had in years. Poor Bertha, she tried but it just isn’t something she’s good at.”
“I’m glad they like me for something.”
“I like you for something,” he waggled his eyebrows and winked at her.
“Oh my.” She knew she blushed again.
He laughed.
She turned and walked out of the barn, fanning herself as she went, his laughter followed her. She smiled.
* * *
Sarah finished with the breakfast dishes. She’d washed and Bertha rinsed and dried. Today was her first lesson in driving a team. She ran upstairs and checked her appearance in the mirror. She was going to spend some time alone with John that wasn’t in bed. Though she couldn’t complain about that. He was a very caring, generous lover. She always climaxed at least once. Usually more.
She pushed stray tendrils of hair back up into the knot on top of her head. It probably wouldn’t stay but no one could say she hadn’t tried. If she’d been back in New York she wouldn’t have dared to step out of the bedroom much less the house with a hair out of place. Aunt Gertrude would turn over in her grave if she saw Sarah now.
She ran down the stairs and out on to the front porch. John waited in the buggy, the smallest of their conveyances. As soon as he saw her he jumped down and came around to help her up into the seat. Then he went around and got back in.
“Okay. You ready?”
“Yes.” She could barely breathe; excitement about learning to drive was the least of her worries. Being this close to her husband and them both having clothes on was almost sexier than without. Almost.
She smiled up at him. “What do I do first?”
He handed her the reins. “First you take off the hand brake. I’m going to do it this time, but when you’re driving you’ll be in my seat and you’ll set it and release it. Always remember to set it. It won’t stop the horses from taking off if they were determined but it serves as a reminder to them they aren’t supposed to move.”
“Right. Brake.”
“Next you take the reins and give them a little flick of the wrist to swat the horses butt.”
She tried but wasn’t doing it right because the horses didn’t move so much as an inch.
He took them from her, “like this.” He jerked his wrists and the leather straps went up and came back down on the horses rumps and they started walking. “Now if you want them to go faster lift them and bring them back down and say ‘giddyup’.”
She nodded. “Giddyup.”
“Okay you try it.” He handed the reins back to her.
She slapped the them on the animals rumps and they started trotting.
“Good. Now turn them to the right.”
“How?”
“Pull on the right rein while leaving the left one alone. Just the right.”
She did and was surprised the horses actually went right like she wanted them to.
“I think you’ve got it. When you want them
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