“What’s that, Uncle Thane,” Jack asked, standing up and holding onto the back of the wagon seat.
“It’s a sprinkler wagon, son. It keeps the dust down and gives Mr. Bentley something to do.”
“What a novel idea,” Jemma said.
They continued down the street until Thane stopped in front of a large furniture store. He jumped down from the wagon then held up his arms and caught Jemma around the waist, swinging her to the ground. Jack scrambled down while Thane lifted Lily into his arms.
She squirmed to get down, but Thane held onto her. “Lily, honey, I need to carry you in this store because there’s lots of big pieces of furniture and I don’t want you to get lost behind them. This way, you’ll be able to see things better and can help your aunt pick out something new for us. How does that sound?”
“I get to help pick?” Lily turned wide coppery eyes, so like Jemma’s, to him.
“Yes, you do.” Thane held open the door while Jemma and Jack preceded him inside.
“Thane Jordan! I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age, maybe longer. I heard you just got back from your trip.” A short, rotund man walked up to Thane and balanced his girth from his toes to his heels as he smiled at Jemma. “I also hear congratulations are in order.”
“Mr. Patterson.” Thane switched Lily from his right arm to his left so he could shake the man’s hand. “I’m pleased to introduce my wife, Jemma, our nephew, Jack, and our niece, Lily. Jemma, this is Irvin Patterson, owner of this fine establishment.”
Mr. Patterson bent in a grand bow, making Jemma bite back a laugh at his efforts as the hair he’d combed over a bald spot on his head flopped forward, hanging like some kind of vermin over his brow.
Lily started to point and giggle, but Thane quickly shook his head at her and she quieted, although laughter sparkled in her eyes.
As he returned to an upright position, Mr. Patterson swept his hand over his head, smoothing his hair into place.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Jemma smiled at the funny little man as he kissed the back of Lily’s hand and winked at Jack.
“The pleasure is all mine, fair lady. How may I be of assistance to you today?”
Jemma told him what she was looking for and he led her around the store, showing her the options he had available.
While Jemma perused the various sofas, Thane wandered around the store with the children. Lily wrapped one hand around his neck, glancing this way and that, intently studying the various displays as she looked for something specific.
“That one, Uncle Thane! Please, can I pick that one?” Lily pointed to a sleigh rocking chair with tapestry upholstery and gleaming mahogany wood.
Thane walked over to the chair and set Lily down on the seat. She wiggled back and forth until the chair started rocking and let out a contented sigh. He remembered the rocking chair in her bedroom at the cottage. Jemma also often sat by the fire and rocked her in the drawing room.
No wonder the child liked the chair so much. It must remind her of home.
Although the chair would look ridiculous in his rough cabin, he knew it would go home with them.
He turned and caught Mr. Patterson’s attention, motioning him over.
“Miss Lily would very much like this chair,” Thane said, raising an eyebrow at Jemma as she approached and studied the chair with her head tipped slightly to the left.
She bent down and smiled at Lily while running a hand over the green, cream, and peach floral upholstery. “Do you like this chair, poppet?”
“Oh, yes, Auntie Jemma. It’s like the one at home. I love it!” Lily rocked with more enthusiasm. Thane slid his foot forward to keep the rocker from gaining any more momentum.
“In that case, Mr. Patterson, please show me the sofas available that will match Lily’s chair.” Jemma stood and gave Thane a look that made heat spiral from his head to his toes. Uncertain what he’d done to deserve it, he enjoyed it all the same.
Before she followed the storeowner back to the selection of sofas, Jemma gently grasped Jack’s chin with her fingers and smiled at him. “Since Lily got to choose a chair, would you like to select one, too? We’ll need a side chair. Perhaps you could choose chairs for the dining table. Or maybe you’d like to select a set of lamps?”
Jack grinned and nodded his head. “I’ll pick the lamps, Auntie Jemma.” She watched as he hurried over to where a large selection of lamps glistened in the light streaming in the store windows.
Thane watched her walk over to where Mr. Patterson waited, pleased at the way she included Jack. Most women wouldn’t let two children pick out their furniture but Jemma seemed more interested in making the children feel involved than if the furniture matched.
Once they finished choosing their selections, Thane helped the delivery boy load the purchases into his wagon then drove down the street to a dress shop. Jack decided to wait in the wagon while Thane escorted Jemma and Lily inside.
Thane held the door and waited for Jemma to walk in with Lily skipping along behind her before entering and removing his hat.
As the bell jingled above the door, an attractive woman with a head full of dark brown curls strode into the room, wearing a beautiful gown and a welcoming smile.
When she saw who stood inside her shop’s door, the woman’s smile broadened and she rushed over to Thane, throwing her arms around him in a warm hug.
“Thane Jordan! How could you go and break my heart?” The woman slapped his arm and gave him a pouty look before squeezing his hand with a familiarity that made Jemma work to keep from losing her temper. “Tully told me you brought home the most beautiful girl in England for a bride, but I thought he was teasing. For once, it appears he was telling the truth.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Thane smiled at the woman then at Jemma. “Jemma, this is my friend, Maggie Dalton. Maggie, this is my wife, Lady Jemma Bryan Jordan. And this is Lily, our niece.”
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jemma.” Maggie offered a curtsy before looking hopefully at Jemma. “Is that right? I’m hopeless when it comes to remembering proper titles. Please forgive me if I botched it, but I hope we can be friends.”
Enchanted by the woman’s friendly manner and her mirthful eyes, Jemma relaxed. “Please, call me Jemma and it would give me great joy to have a friend here in Baker City.”
Maggie nodded then winked at Lily and tweaked her nose, making the little girl laugh as she leaned against Thane’s leg.
He smiled and looked at Jemma. “Maggie and her husband, Daniel, traveled west with Tully and me. We all worked a claim together until Daniel died, then Maggie opened up this shop. She keeps Tully and I walking on the straight and narrow and from running around naked.”
Maggie shook her head. “What he means is that I won’t let them wear their clothes until they look like tattered rags. Someone has to keep these men in line, but I’m glad I can turn Thane over to you.” The woman studied Jemma, gasping when she recognized her gown. “That’s a Madame Beauchene original, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. She made my wedding gown and trousseau.” Jemma was nearly shocked speechless the dressmaker recognized Madame Beauchene’s designs.
Thane had no idea where Jemma’s wedding gown came from but he recalled how beautiful she looked wearing it. How much he enjoyed kissing her that day.
Desperately wanting to kiss her again, he brought his attention back to the present then found himself distracted by how lovely his wife looked in the bright blue outfit. He wondered who paid for her wardrobe and decided Weston probably had something to do with it.
“Aren’t you a lucky girl, then?” Maggie reached out to touch the sleeve of Jemma’s jacket, where beads formed an intricate floral pattern above her wrist. Suddenly, she snatched her hand back. “I seem to have completely forgotten my manners today. My apologies.”
Jemma laughed, putting everyone at ease. “Not at all, Maggie. Would you like to try on the jacket?”
“Goodness sakes! I’d love
to, but I don’t want…”
Jemma already had the jacket off and held it for Maggie to try on over her own deep green gown. Hurrying over to a full-length mirror in the far corner, Maggie looked into the glass, smiling at her reflection as her finger caressed the fine fabric of the jacket.
“It’s exquisite!” Maggie carefully removed the jacket and started to hold it for Jemma, but Thane took it in his hand before his wife could slip it on. She glared at him, but held her tongue.
“Other than to introduce you to my girls, I’d like you to outfit Jemma with clothes more appropriate for the ranch. As you can see, her things are far too nice to wear out there. She needs some every day dresses and a couple of riding skirts. Can you set her up?”
“I’ve got several things I think will fit, unless you want to special order the pieces.” Maggie glanced at Jemma with a critical eye, guessing measurements and deciding what colors would best match her peaches-and-cream complexion.
“No special orders. What you’ve got in stock will be fine.” Thane interrupted Jemma when she started to speak. “While I’m being a bossy, boorish man, I’ll also state that I want those dresses to fit with a looser corset. She can’t get anything done with that thing laced so tight.”
Jemma started to splutter a protest, but Thane took a step back and opened the shop door, draping her jacket over the end of a display case. “I’ll leave you ladies to your shopping. Jemma, when you’re finished, meet us around the corner at the restaurant and we’ll have lunch before purchasing the rest of the supplies.”
He started out the door, but glanced back to see his wife glaring at him with sparks shooting from her eyes, as he knew they would be. “Don’t forget what I said about that bustle either.”
Echoes of his chuckles floated around them after he shut the door. As Thane approached the wagon, he motioned for Jack to climb down.
“What’s funny, Uncle Thane?” Jack asked, hurrying to keep up with his long strides.
“Your aunt. She makes me laugh.” The truth of his words hit him with a sudden surprise that almost made him trip as he walked down the block.
Since he’d met Jemma, the emotions he liked to keep on an even keel exploded into a flurry of confusing feelings. He’d never laughed as much, been as angry, or felt such tenderness flood through him as he had in the past six weeks.
“Do you like Auntie Jemma?” Jack glanced up at his hero.
“Of course I like her. I married her, didn’t I?” While they waited for a wagon to pass, he put a warm hand against Jack’s back and smiled at the boy.
“Yes, but I heard Cook telling Greenfield that you married her so you could bring us to America. I’m glad we’re here, Uncle Thane, but I want Auntie Jemma to be happy, too.”
Struck by the boy’s words, Thane hunkered down so they were closer to eye level. “I want her to be happy, Jack. Do you think she’s unhappy? Did she say something that upset you?”
“No. It’s just…” Jack studied the toe of his shoe instead of looking at his uncle.
“Go on, son. You can tell me anything.”
Jack lifted his head and Thane took in the solemn, sad look the boy so often wore when he first arrived at the cottage. In the last few weeks, it had nearly disappeared, but occasionally he caught glimpses of it.
“It’s okay, Jack. Tell me what’s on your mind.” Thane patiently waited for the boy to continue.
“Sometimes Auntie Jemma seems very happy. She smiles more than she ever used to and I even heard her humming the other day. She never did that at home, I mean our old home.” Jack looked at Thane for reassurance. When his uncle nodded his head and smiled, Jack continued. “But sometimes after the two of you talk all quiet and you leave, she gets quite angry and mutters things I can’t hear. Twice, when she thought I was asleep, I heard her crying. I don’t like Auntie Jemma to cry. It makes me sad.”
“It makes me sad, too, Jack. I appreciate you telling me all this and I promise I’ll do my best to make your aunt happy.”
The boy impulsively hugged Thane then stepped back and looked around to make sure no one was watching. Relieved they were alone on the street, he grinned at his uncle. “Where are we going?”
“Just around the corner.” Thane put his hand to Jack’s back again and guided him inside one of his favorite stores in town, the Saddle and Harness Shop.
As they entered the long, narrow store, Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. The boy inhaled the marvelous scent of leather.
The center aisle featured a double row of handmade saddles on display while bridles, reins, soft leather gloves, harnesses, collars, and coils of rope hung from the high ceiling. Shelves held tins of oil and harness soap, saddle blankets, spurs, bits, cinches, currycombs, brushes, cowboy boots and hats.
One corner, oddly enough, boasted a line of sewing machines. Thane headed toward it and held out his hand in greeting when one of the storeowners greeted him.
“Mr. Palmer, this is my nephew, Jack.” Thane nudged his nephew forward and the boy shook the storeowner’s outstretched hand. “Jack, this is Mr. Palmer. He has some of the best saddles in Eastern Oregon right here in his shop.”
“I bet you might like this one.” Mr. Palmer picked up Jack and set him on one of the display saddles. The boy grinned from ear to ear as he settled onto the seat and stretched his legs down, trying to reach the stirrups. “Why don’t you try a few of them on for size while I help your uncle?”
Jack nodded his head and began climbing from saddle to saddle while Thane and Mr. Palmer walked toward the sewing machine display.
“You pick up some new skills while you were gone?” Palmer teased as Thane looked over the machines.
“Nope, but my wife plans on doing some sewing and I figured one of these machines would make it go faster.”
Palmer took a step back, staring at Thane. “The rumors are true? You came home with a wife? I thought you said…”
Thane held up a hand before he could finish. “I know what I said, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have a wife and she needs a sewing machine. I want one that’s easy for her to use, yet does a good job. Which one do you recommend?”
Palmer went over the selling points of his two favorite models and nodded approvingly when Thane made his selection.
“Anything else you need today?” Palmer asked as he wrote out a receipt for the sewing machine.
“As a matter of fact, there is.” Thane tipped his head toward Jack. “I’ve got a boy in need of a saddle and a pair of boots.”
When Sam strolled into the shop a few minutes later, Jack excitedly ran up to him, showing off his new boots while Thane looked at the saddles.
“Did you leave your wagon out front?” Thane asked as Sam walked up to him.
“Sure did, boss, just like you asked.” Sam winked at Jack as the boy clomped around the store, thrilled with his boots.
“Good. I didn’t fancy packing that sewing machine back to the dress shop where I left the wagon.”
Sam raised his eyebrow but didn’t say anything as he and Thane loaded the sewing machine, two saddles, and a box of assorted supplies.
Once everything was loaded, Thane slapped Sam on the back and they drove the wagon to the restaurant where they planned to meet Jemma and Lily for lunch. The girls hadn’t yet arrived, so Thane told Sam and Jack to go in and save them a table while he went to fetch the girls.
As he opened the door to the dress shop, his gaze settled on Jemma leaning against the counter, laughing at something Maggie said. When the women noticed him, they looked at each other and laughed even harder.
“If I’m the source of your amusement, you better fess up.” Thane almost stepped on Lily as she sat on the floor at Jemma’s feet playing with a ball made from fabric scraps.
“I’m not confessing anything, Thane. You should know by now you can’t intimidate me.” Maggie narrowed her gaze, although a smile played around her mouth.
He turned to Jemma but she shook her head. “I am not s
aying a word. Before you attempt to pry information from a baby, Lily has been so occupied playing with the ball Maggie kindly gave her, she hasn’t paid a speck of attention to what we discussed.”
Thane frowned at his wife, uncertain he liked the way she and Maggie appeared to become fast friends. He, Maggie, and Tully had a long history together, having stuck by each other when they had no one else, and a childish part of him wasn’t sure he wanted to share his friends with his wife.
Convicted by the absurdity of his thoughts, he took a deep breath and glanced down at the wrapped parcels on the counter. “Did you find a few things that fit?”
“Yes, I did. Maggie has a wonderful selection and we even found a dress for Lily.”
“That’s great. Are you ready to go?” Thane paid the bill and accepted the packages Maggie handed him, smiling at Lily as she got to her feet clutching her ball.
Jemma nodded at him then gave Maggie a friendly hug. “Thank you for your wonderful assistance, Maggie. I do hope you’ll keep your promise to visit soon.”
“I will.” Maggie bent down and brushed a hand over Lily’s curls before tickling the little girl beneath her chin. “You keep your Uncle Thane out of trouble. Okay, Lily?”
Lily nodded her head then gave Maggie a curtsy. “Thank you for my ball.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Have fun playing with it.”
Thane held the door as Jemma and Lily walked outside. Glancing back at his friend, he smiled. “Can you join us for lunch, Maggie?”
“Not today, but perhaps another time.” Two steps brought her close enough to Thane she could speak without Jemma overhearing. “You’ve taken a lovely bride, Thane. I think she’s the girl you’ve been waiting for all these years.”
Thane grinned and tipped his hat to her before hurrying out the door.
Quickly stowing the packages under the seat in the wagon, he picked up Lily in one arm then held out the other to Jemma, escorting her to the restaurant where Sam and Jack waited.
The lunch conversation was lively as Jack talked about everything he saw at the saddle shop. Lily proudly showed off her colorful ball, sewn with pieces of velvet and stuffed with soft cotton.
Crumpets & Cowpies: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 1) Page 20
