MINDY'S MAIL ORDER HUSBAND (4 page)

          
“Understand
that boy.
 
Now go to bed.”

          
Brett
walked slowly back to the house.
 
He
wanted to go to Mindy, take her into his arms and hold her as she cried, but
knew Scuffy would be there for her.

***

          
Mindy
didn’t know how long she sat by her pa’s grave and cried, but she was getting
cold.
 
She needed to go back to the
house, but right now, she didn’t want to talk to Brett.
 
How could he tell her that they should use
her pa’s room?
 
She didn’t want to move
her pa’s things out of there.
 

          
She
rose to her feet, swiped her hands across her eyes to wipe the tears away, and
walked slowly back to the house.
 
When
she got to the clearing, she saw Scuffy sitting there waiting for her.
 
She ran over and hugged him.
 
“I love you, Scuffy.”

          
“I
know child.”
 
He rose to his feet and
put his coat around her.
 
“You’re going
to catch a cold out here in this damp night air.”

          
“She
pulled the coat close around her and sat down in the chair beside him.
 
“I shouldn’t have gotten married.”
 
She blurted out.

          
“You
done the right thing.
 
You had to marry
and I think Brett is a fine man.
 
You
just met the man today, so you have to give it time and get to know him.”

          
“But
he wants us to move our bedroom into pa’s!”

          
Scuffy
nodded.
 
“I know.
 
He came out to find you and talked to me for
a bit.
 
I told him to go on to bed.”

          
“I
can’t take pa’s bedroom and get rid of his things.”
 
She felt the tears slide down her cheeks again.

          
Scuffy
reached over and took her hand and patted it gently.
 
“Listen, child, your pa is gone and there’s no bringing him
back.
 
He lives on in your heart and
mind.
 
He will always be there with
you.
 
His room and the material things
in there mean nothing.
 
It’s the
memories that matter.”

          
“Then
you agree with Brett?”

          
“It
isn’t a matter of agreeing with the man.
 
Your room isn’t big enough for the both of you and you are a married
woman now.
 
There’s no changing that,
and if you think hard about it, your pa would be happy for you to take his
room.
 
I’m betting if he were here, he’d
tell you so.”

          
Mindy
swiped away the tears and sniffed.
 
“I
never thought of it that way.”

          
“You’ve
had a big day and now you need to skedaddle up there to your room and go to bed
with your husband.
 
He’s a good man and
he’s already helped you more in one day than anyone has since your pa
died.
 
He’s trying hard to show you he
can care for you.”

          
She
sighed.
 
“I guess you’re right, but I’m
scared, Scuffy.
 
I’ve never slept with a
man before.”

          
“I
know that, but you do know what to expect, don’t you?”

          
“Pa
explained everything to me before he passed.
 
He said I needed to marry as soon as possible for my sake and the
ranch.”
 
She stood, slipped off the
jacket and handed it back to Scuffy.
 
“You
better get inside and get to bed too.
 
Besides, I bet your rheumatism flares up sitting out here in the night
air.”

          
“I’m
a tough old coot.
 
Now git!”

          
Mindy
hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
 
“Good night, Scuffy.”

          
“Night
girl.”

          
Mindy
lifted her skirts, ran to the house, and went inside.
 
She walked to the kitchen, banked the stove, and turned the lamp
down low.
 
Ever since her pa passed, she
left it burning all night.
 
Taking a
deep breath, she went upstairs to her room.
 
The door was ajar and soft light from the kerosene lamp lit the
room.
 
Brett lay on his side
sleeping.
 
For a minute, she just stood
and stared at him.
 
She liked the
whiskers on his tanned face.
 
He’d
pulled the covers up to his waist and he didn’t wear a nightshirt.
 
His chest was broad and muscled and a thick
mat of hair covered his chest.
 
Was he
naked under the quilt?
 
That thought
almost made her run away, but he opened his eyes and stared at her.

          
“You
all right?”

          
She
swallowed hard.
 
“Yes.
 
Go back to sleep.
 
I didn’t mean to wake you.”

          
Brett
pushed up on his elbow and looked at her.
 
“You coming to bed?”

          
She
nodded and grabbed her old threadbare nightgown.
 
“Please turn around while I undress?”
 
She saw him grin and turn over in bed.
 
She waited a couple seconds, then quickly shed her dress, and
pulled the nightgown over her chemise and bloomers.

          
She
turned out the lamp and sat on the edge of the bed.
 
When Brett moved and pulled her down onto the bed with him, his
arms wrapped tight around her, she almost screamed.
 
“I told you I couldn’t.”

          
“I
know, but that isn’t going to stop me from holding you all night.
 
Besides, your cold.”

          
She
didn’t say anything as he tugged her up against him.
 
He was so warm that she wanted to sink against him to soak up the
heat.

          
“Relax,
Mindy, I’m not going to bite you.
 
At
least not tonight I won’t.
 
Now go to
sleep and get some rest. Morning isn’t too far off.”

          
She
held herself rigid against him until exhaustion took over and she relaxed.
 
She felt solace with his strong arms wrapped
around her and she wasn’t afraid like she had been since her pa passed of being
alone in the house.
 
She closed her eyes
and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Four

          
Mindy
woke alone in bed.
 
She squinted against
the bright sunlight streaming in her window and groaned.
 
She’d overslept.
 
Something she hadn’t done in ages.
 
What must Brett think of a wife who let him get up without making
him breakfast and coffee?
 
She hopped
out of bed and washed up with the tepid water from the pitcher and basin on her
dresser, dressed, and ran downstairs.

          
She
entered the kitchen and looked out the screen door to see Brett, Scuffy, and
the men talking by the buckboard.
 
She
opened the door and walked over to them.
 
“What’s going on?”

          
Brett
smiled at her.
 
“Corky and Truman are
going into town to get the lumber we need and some other things.
 
Do you need them to get you anything while
they are there?”

          
“No
thanks.
 
Did you have breakfast?”

          
“Yep,
with Scuffy and the men.
 
There’s a
plate of flapjacks keeping warm in the oven in the bunkhouse for you too.
 
Come on, I might just steal one from you
they are so good.”

          
Mindy
smiled when he took her arm and led her to the bunkhouse with Scuffy following
them.
 
She sat down at the table while
Brett poured each of them coffee and Scuffy placed the plate of pancakes in
front of her.
 
“They look
delicious!”
 
Scuffy pulled out a chair
on one side of her and Brett on the other.
 

          
Scuffy
grinned.
 
“You watch what she does with
them thar flapjacks first, Brett.”

          
“Doesn’t
she just cut into them and start eating?”

          
“Nope.
 
Watch.”

          
Mindy
smiled, picked up her knife and cut the stack of pancakes down the middle, then
down both sides before pouring maple syrup all over them.
 
She forked the ones in the middle clear to
the bottom and popped them into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
 
“They’re heavenly, Scuffy.
 
This is such a treat!”

          
Scuffy
chuckled.
 
“You know, Brett, Mack and
her used to have me go up to the house and cook a big pile of flapjacks high off
the plate so they could see who could put all the middle part in their mouth
without loosing any off their forks.
 
It
was somethin’ to see.”

          
“Who
won?”

          
“Mindy,
of course.
 
Her pa used to tease her
that the only reason she beat him each time was that women had bigger mouths
than men.”

          
Brett
grinned.
 
“I would never tell her
that.
 
She might stab me with the fork!”

          
Mindy
didn’t pay them any mind and ate her pancakes.
 
They were made the way she liked them with gobs of freshly churned
butter and lots of maple syrup.
 
When
she was finished, she sat back in her chair, and sighed.
 
“Thank you, Scuffy,” she said and turned to
Brett, “and thank you for buying the supplies we needed to make them.
 
I appreciate that.”

          
“I
know you all do.
 
The men looked happy this
morning and were working when I got out here.
 
The barn is all cleaned out, fresh straw down for the horses, and Corky
and Truman will be bringing back grain and feed for the horses too.
 
I also told them to buy some chickens and
the feed for them too.

          
“Thank
you.
 
It will be nice to collect my own
eggs again.
 
I missed that.”

          
“I’ll
get a few hogs too.
 
Scuffy said a
rancher not far from here raises them and has plenty to sell.
 
That way we can have our own pork too.”

          
“For
a city boy, you sure do know a lot about ranching.”

          
“Scuffy’s
been educating me on what’s needed to make the ranch prosperous and self
sufficient.”

          
“I’ll
teach you all I know.
 
We need to get a
place dug up for the garden too, Mindy.
 
The men are going to bring back seeds and plants.
 
We’ll only be a couple weeks behind time,
but everything should grow good even if planted late.
 
You want the garden up behind the house where your pa always had
it?”

          
“Yes.
 
I can’t wait to see things start growing
again,” she said, when Brett reached over and took hold of her hand.

          
“I
also told the men to get your some flower bulbs and seeds too for around the
porch.
 
I noticed some tulips blooming
when we arrived yesterday.
 
I like
flowers.”

          
“Pa
did too.
 
Most men don’t cotton to those
things, but I’m happy you do.”

          
“If
there is anything you want to fix up the house or around it, all you have to do
is tell me.”

          
Mindy
shook her head.
 
“I think we have a lot
of planting and work to do for now.”

          
“That’s
true, but you come first.”

          
“Me?”
 
She stared at him.

          
“Yes.
 
You are my wife and I want you to be happy
and have things that make you happy.”

          
“Thank
you, Brett.
 
It seems you have made our
lives better in one day.
 
Even the men
are working now.”

          
“I
think Web was the culprit there.
 
I
think he bullied the men and threatened them to do what he told them to.
 
With him gone, the men are pretty easy to
get along with.”

          
“That’s
good,” she said, when she heard a commotion outside and a shrill whistle that
rent the air.
 
“What in the world?”
 
She pushed her chair back and stood, as did
Brett and Scuffy.

          
“That’s
Brace.
 
I’d know that whistle
anywhere.
 
Come on, I want you to meet
him.”

          
Mindy
let Brett pull her along outside and up to Brace who sat tall in the
saddle.
 
Her mouth fell open at the
sight.
 
His thick, jet, black hair was
shoulder length, his handsome face was tanned and he had crow’s feet at the
corner of his silver eyes.
 
He was broad
of shoulder and his arms strained against the material of his white shirt.

          
Brett
grinned.
 
“Get down off that horse and
meet my wife.”

          
Mindy
watched the man dismount and walk the few steps to stand in front of her.
 
She had to raise her head to stare up at
him.
 
He took off his hat and bowed.

          
“It’s
nice to meet you, Mrs. Connors.”

          
“It’s
nice to meet you too.
 
Would you like to
come up to the house and have cake and coffee?”

          
“I
would like that.
 
My men can carry
Brett’s luggage into the house and put it where you want it too.
 
Also, I have a wedding gift for both of you.
 
Carlos, bring the horses here.”

          
Mindy
watched a man ride forward holding the reins of two horses.
 
She knew good horseflesh when she saw it and
the black stallion and white mare were beautiful.
 
She watched Brace take the reins from the man and lead the horses
to them.
 
“The white mare is my wedding
gift to you, Mrs. Connors, and the black stallion is Brett’s.”

          
“They
are beautiful, but we can’t accept such expensive presents.”
 
She walked over and petted the white mare.

          
“Nonsense,
they are my gifts to you.
 
You will
accept them.
 
Tell your wife, Brett.”

          
Brett
cleared his throat.
 
“We accept and they
are indeed fine horseflesh.
 
They will
be a prized addition to the ranch.
 
Thank you.”

          
Mindy
looked at Brett ready to refuse once more when he shot her a warning look.
 
She kept quiet when Scuffy walked up beside
her to pet the mare.

          
“She’s
beautiful.
 
I can’t wait to see you ride
her.”

          
Mindy
nodded, but tears threatened to spill over because all she could think about
was that she had to sell the horse her pa had given her last month to pay the
ranch hands.
 
“I think she likes me.”

          
“Me
too.
 
I’ll take the horses into the barn
and get them taken care of.
 
You go tend
to your husband and guest.”

          
“Thanks,
Scuffy.”
 
She walked over to Brett and
Brace.
 
“Come up to the house.”
 
She lifted her skirts and ran up to the
house and into the kitchen.
 
She put on
coffee and cut three slices of their wedding cake, placed them on plates, and
set them on the table.
 
When Brett and
Brace walked in, she smoothed her dress down with sweaty palms.
 
She couldn’t help but remember Brace wanting
to buy the ranch.
 
“Please sit
down.
 
The coffee will be ready in a few
minutes.”

          
“Thank
you,” Brace said, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside Brett at the head
of the table.
 
“My condolences on your
pa’s passing, Mrs. Connors.”

          
“Thank
you,” Mindy said.

          
“I
only met your pa once, but I liked him immediately.”

          
“Is
that the day you came here wanting to buy our ranch?”

          
“Yes
it was.
 
I’d just moved here and hadn’t
found a place yet.
 
When your pa refused
to sell to me, I was lucky to purchase Mr. Gaver’s ranch.”

          
“Pa
would never sell out.
 
Neither will
I.”
 
She just thought she’d get the
point across to him in case he wanted to expand the Gaver’s ranch.”

          
“I’m
happy with my place, so don’t need another.
 
I am happy that Brett settled here and married you.
 
When he wrote to me that he was coming here
and marrying up, I couldn’t believe it.
 
Never thought he’d get out from under his father’s thumb.”

          
Brett
laughed.
 
“I don’t think I could take
another minute in that office.
 
I was
going stir crazy.”

          
“Wait
until your father finds out where you are.
 
You know he’s going to come here to bully you into moving back home.”

          
‘It
won’t do him any good.
 
He’s welcome
here, but he’s not going to control my life anymore.
 
I feel free for the first time in my life and I like it.”

          
“I
understand how you feel.
 
It was like
that for me with my father too.
 
My
brother’s the one who likes to be shut up in an office and traveling on
business all the time.”

          
“Yeah,
Parker always was a suit and tie type man.
 
Glad he is happy.”

          
“He’s
getting married too.
 
I will probably
have to go home for the wedding and I’m not looking forward to it, either.”

          
“I
never thought he’d have time to find a wife.”

          
“She
found him and has more family money to add to the overflowing pot.”

          
Mindy
poured the coffee, listening to them talk about their family.
 
She found it hard to believe that a father
wouldn’t want their sons to be happy.
 
She set the cups of coffee on the table and pulled out a chair and sat
down.
 
“I can’t understand your
fathers.”

          
Brace
took a bite of his cake.
 
“We have good
fathers, but the problem is they want us to fall into their footsteps and make
all the money we can make.”