RR05 - Tender Mercies by Lauraine Snelling Page B

arm around her waist, dragging her close. “Well done, wife.” His hand slipped lower, and he patted her bottom. “Hmm, maybe these britches aren’t so bad after all.”
    Ingeborg could feel the heat flame up from her neck. “Haakan Howard Bjorklund, how you talk.” She turned in his arms. “Now we’ll have a new goose down quilt to help keep us warm this winter.”
    “We do pretty well keeping each other warm.” His mouth was only inches from hers.
    She leaned into his caress, grateful for the deepening dusk. His kiss, first on the tip of her nose, then her cheeks, then her lips reminded her anew how much she loved him. And loved to be loved by him.
    “Please don’t wear these britches where other men can see you. They might get the same idea I had.”
    “I won’t. But I do love to hunt.” She laid her head on his chest, grateful for the strong heart she could feel thumping in her ear.
    “Not a womanly thing.”
    She shook her head. “But we will enjoy roast goose tomorrow night, as will Kaaren and Metiz, and we’ll give one to Zeb and Katy too.” She counted them out. “I think I better go out again tomorrow night.”
    “Ah, my Inge, what would I do without you?” Haakan kissed her again, a gentle kiss full of promise.
    Perhaps this time there will be a baby . Ingeborg kept the wish to herself.
    After hanging the spoils of her labor in the well house to cool, the two made their way to the lighted windows of their house, the peal of children’s laughter welcoming them home.
    “I have a deacon’s meeting tonight, so I better get myself moving,” Haakan said at the close of the meal. “Mange takk, Bridget. You are one fine cook.”
    “Good enough to run a boardinghouse, huh?” She smiled at him over Astrid’s head, the child nestled in her lap.
    Haakan rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Some people never give up.”
    “Not when this is such a good idea.” Her reply snapped back, tempered by a smile but undergirded with determination.
    “Well, the meeting tonight is for church, not the bank, but keep thinking about it so you can answer all the questions the board is going to throw at you.” He stood and stretched, giving Ingeborg a smile that promised more later.
    “It helps to have people in your corner.” Bridget rocked her lap sitter.
    “I know. Far as I can see, the idea is sound, and no, I don’t believe you are too old. Hjelmer doesn’t either. You caught him by surprise, you know.”
    Bridget patted her white hair. “The hair may look old, but the back is strong.”
    “I don’t think your hair looks old,” Thorliff said, looking up from the book he was reading at the table where the lamplight was the brightest. “But I want you to stay here with us. If you live at the boardinghouse, we won’t see you so much.”
    Ingeborg nodded. “Leave it to Thorliff to hit the nail right on the head.”
    Andrew looked up from drawing letters on his slate. “What nail?”
    Ingeborg shook her head. “That is just a saying. Now, where’s Hamre?”
    “Gone to the soddy.” Andrew took up his chalk again. “He doesn’t like to be with us much.”
    “Hamre did a fine job oiling the threshing machine.” Haakan shrugged into his coat.
    “But he doesn’t like school.” Thorliff glanced up again. “Says he wants to go fishing again on the ocean like his bestefar.”
    “Is that so?” Bridget looked to the boy at her side.
    “Um.” Thorliff went back to his book.
    How he can read and still keep track of the conversation around him, I’ll never know . Ingeborg wanted to reach over and brush away the lock of hair, no longer so blond, that fell over Thorliff ’s forehead. Instead she looked up at Haakan. “Tell Pastor Solberg there’s a goose here for him as soon as I pick it.”
    “Better yet, invite him over for supper tomorrow night.” Bridget dropped a kiss on Astrid’s gold-white hair. “I’ll make lefse. He says that’s one of his favorites.”
    Fighting to keep her