Not Quite A Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Brides) by Susan Leigh Carlton Page B
Authors: Susan Leigh Carlton
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her.
When he touched her shoulder, even through her sweater dress she felt a tingle. “What is that?” she wondered.
Luke hastily removed his hand. “I’m sorry, I’m only trying to help,” he said.
“I understand,” she said. “I’ll be all right.”
An hour later, she went outside. It was snowing pretty hard and the force of the wind had increased. The horse had been tied in the shelter of the school building. She took the reins and climbed in, brushing the snow from the buggy seat before sitting down. She flicked the reins and headed home. She was headed into the wind and it was cold. The visibility was becoming more limited and the wind seemed to go right through her clothing chilling her to the bone. Jed had told her horses would make their way home if turned loose, so she was not worried about becoming lost. The prospect of the unexpected was daunting and she decided this was a mistake and managed to turn the buggy around and headed back to Luke’s house. She pulled up between the barn and the house and went to the door.
She pounded on the door in order to be heard above the howling wind, she shivered as she waited. Luke came to the door. “I need your help, please. I made a mistake and should have left when you said.”
Luke put his arm around her shoulder. “This was the best decision could have made. You come in and get warm. I’ll get my coat and take care of your horse. I’m glad you didn’t try to go home. I was getting ready to come check on you. You go on inside. Some of your children are still here. “That is if you don’t mind me telling you what to do,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. Hetty will get you some hot tea.”
“Thank goodness he didn’t crow about being right or make fun of me for being stupid,” she thought. “Thank you.” She said. “I don’t want to be any trouble, but I do appreciate it.”
“Hetty, I’ll show the boys where they will sleep and you can show the girls and show Martha her room. Come with me, boys.” He led them down the wide hallway and stepped past an opened door. There was a fire in the fireplace, giving the room a warm and cozy room. It was a nicer room than any of the boys had at home. Opening the door, he said, “This is it. Hetty will make pallets for you. No roughhousing boys, and tomorrow we’ll see about getting you home. There’s a wash basin and towels where you can wash up before dinner, which will be in about an hour.”
As he walked away, he heard Clayton Vintner say, “Criminy, ain’t this nice?”
Hetty showed the girls to a room much the same as the boys. Then, “Miss Martha, your room is across the hall.” She opened the door to a room with yet another fireplace. There was a double bed with a feather bed mattress. It had a white comforter with colorful, embroidered flowers. There was a pitcher, a wash basin, soap and towels on the vanity. It was a beautiful room, a little older than her room at Jed and Sarah’s, but just as tastefully done.
He stopped in front of the room Hetty had made for Martha and knocked lightly on the door. Martha answered, and he asked, “Is everything all right? Do you need anything? If so, just let Hetty know.”
“Everything is fine,” she said. Impulsively, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. This is very kind and thoughtful to take all of us in.”
“You’ll find this is the way we do things in Wyoming. We look out for each other. Kind of a “love thy neighbor” thing.”
“It was still nice of you,” she said.
“Hetty tells me dinner will be in about an hour. Come on back to the living room whenever you want.” As he walked away, he rubbed the spot on his cheek where her soft lips had touched. He thought it still felt warm.
After a dinner of shepherd’s pie, cold milk topped with a dessert of apple pie, the children had gone with Hetty while she made pallets for them.
When he touched her shoulder, even through her sweater dress she felt a tingle. “What is that?” she wondered.
Luke hastily removed his hand. “I’m sorry, I’m only trying to help,” he said.
“I understand,” she said. “I’ll be all right.”
An hour later, she went outside. It was snowing pretty hard and the force of the wind had increased. The horse had been tied in the shelter of the school building. She took the reins and climbed in, brushing the snow from the buggy seat before sitting down. She flicked the reins and headed home. She was headed into the wind and it was cold. The visibility was becoming more limited and the wind seemed to go right through her clothing chilling her to the bone. Jed had told her horses would make their way home if turned loose, so she was not worried about becoming lost. The prospect of the unexpected was daunting and she decided this was a mistake and managed to turn the buggy around and headed back to Luke’s house. She pulled up between the barn and the house and went to the door.
She pounded on the door in order to be heard above the howling wind, she shivered as she waited. Luke came to the door. “I need your help, please. I made a mistake and should have left when you said.”
Luke put his arm around her shoulder. “This was the best decision could have made. You come in and get warm. I’ll get my coat and take care of your horse. I’m glad you didn’t try to go home. I was getting ready to come check on you. You go on inside. Some of your children are still here. “That is if you don’t mind me telling you what to do,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. Hetty will get you some hot tea.”
“Thank goodness he didn’t crow about being right or make fun of me for being stupid,” she thought. “Thank you.” She said. “I don’t want to be any trouble, but I do appreciate it.”
“Hetty, I’ll show the boys where they will sleep and you can show the girls and show Martha her room. Come with me, boys.” He led them down the wide hallway and stepped past an opened door. There was a fire in the fireplace, giving the room a warm and cozy room. It was a nicer room than any of the boys had at home. Opening the door, he said, “This is it. Hetty will make pallets for you. No roughhousing boys, and tomorrow we’ll see about getting you home. There’s a wash basin and towels where you can wash up before dinner, which will be in about an hour.”
As he walked away, he heard Clayton Vintner say, “Criminy, ain’t this nice?”
Hetty showed the girls to a room much the same as the boys. Then, “Miss Martha, your room is across the hall.” She opened the door to a room with yet another fireplace. There was a double bed with a feather bed mattress. It had a white comforter with colorful, embroidered flowers. There was a pitcher, a wash basin, soap and towels on the vanity. It was a beautiful room, a little older than her room at Jed and Sarah’s, but just as tastefully done.
He stopped in front of the room Hetty had made for Martha and knocked lightly on the door. Martha answered, and he asked, “Is everything all right? Do you need anything? If so, just let Hetty know.”
“Everything is fine,” she said. Impulsively, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. This is very kind and thoughtful to take all of us in.”
“You’ll find this is the way we do things in Wyoming. We look out for each other. Kind of a “love thy neighbor” thing.”
“It was still nice of you,” she said.
“Hetty tells me dinner will be in about an hour. Come on back to the living room whenever you want.” As he walked away, he rubbed the spot on his cheek where her soft lips had touched. He thought it still felt warm.
After a dinner of shepherd’s pie, cold milk topped with a dessert of apple pie, the children had gone with Hetty while she made pallets for them.
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