The Milch Bride

by J. R. Biery

  When he returned, he had the book and the baby. He handed her the baby first, took the dishes, gave her a wistful look and a soft kiss on the top of her head and left.

  Hattie tended to J.D. first. When he was asleep for his nap, she settled down with the book, carefully reading directions on how to hem. Leaving the door to the bedroom cracked a little to draw a breeze from the open windows, she settled down beside the sleeping boy and slowly and frustratingly hemmed the skirt. She put the skirt on, then removed and hemmed the petticoat, working faster now that she had the hang of it and knew the stitches would not be seen.

  <><><>

  Hattie carried the last basket of clothes to the house, happy that James and the dog Sam were both on duty while J.D. played on his blanket outside. The clothes that didn’t need ironing she had carefully folded as she took them off the line and they were already put away. Unfortunately, that left both clothes baskets full of ones that would need to be starched and ironed. Although, Rubye or Irene Dawson would probably not approve, she had carefully folded sheets and both her and Jackson’s underwear instead of putting them in the stack to be starched and ironed. She had no intention of ever starching or ironing either of them again.

  She managed the hemming, baked a cake, and put the roast in the oven before the baby woke from his nap. James peeled potatoes and turnips, though he disagreed with cooking them together the way she planned. There was still a pot of soup beans left. Over James protest, she added three ripe tomatoes, a large dried onion chopped fine, and a generous dollop of molasses to his beans before sticking them in the oven with the roast to bubble and bake. Sighing, she looked around the room. She was tired, but she needed to boil starch, dip and roll the clothes, ice the cake, and cook the potatoes and turnips. She would wait until tonight when the dishes were done to start the ironing.

  <><><>

  Before it was time for the men to arrive, Hattie was exhausted. She still needed to make starch and roll the clothes. J.D. had to be teething again, since he wanted to bite and slobber on everything. At least this time, he hadn’t needed her to sit under him all the time, just most of it. She had held him on her hip while she made caramel icing, then added cream and cracked pepper to the potato/turnip dish. She had left James to set the table and get the finished food dished up while she tried to get Jackie to nurse and stop fussing.

  When Jackson rode in, she and the baby were lying on the bed, fast asleep. Carefully, he lifted the bottom of her skirt, noting the precise little stitches in the hem as he removed her shoes. Gently, he eased both over, then hung his gun belt on the headboard and removed his boots before lying down next to them. Slowly, easing into it, he rubbed the narrow shoulders and slim back, picturing it as she had looked earlier, standing bare before him, and trying on Donna’s blouse. She had a beautiful back, all lean muscle, smooth, silky white, and perfectly arched.

  Despite the awareness of all the people in the next room, he realized he was growing restlessly stirred by her. Even more dangerous, he realized two pair of blue eyes were staring at him. They were now both awake. He sat still, waiting to see the fear flood her face as it had earlier. Instead she surprised him by leaning in, and kissing him warmly until J.D. protested and they broke apart.

  “Do you want me to bring supper in here, or do you want to join me and the men to eat?”

  “Join everyone. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep; it’s just been such a long day.” She continued to talk, giving him a detailed account, as she rose and pinned her braids to circle her head like a little crown. She stared at the shoes, looking puzzled, but made no move to put them back on. When she realized that he was just smiling, not saying anything, Hattie stopped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rattle on.”

  He laughed. “Why? I like hearing about your day.” Both in their stocking feet, he opened the door, held J.D. and kept his arm around her back.

  The men who were gathering all rose until she was seated beside him at the end of the table. When several complimented her, Jackson took the time to stare at her, all pink from her nap. The color in her cheeks emphasized the angles of her face and the blue of her eyes, the braided hair seemed perfect for the lovely gingham dress. She hadn’t taken it in, but he noticed that she had found a belt to take up some of the fullness of both blouse and skirt. If he could keep the terrified girl hidden, Hattie was really a pretty woman.

  He listened to his tough hands complement her, even James bragged about the baked beans. His favorite had been the creamed potatoes and turnips. Hattie smiled shyly, apologizing ahead of time that the cake might not match the quality of Rubye’s. Jackson smiled as each of the men had to reassure her it was as good or better than the best cake baker’s in the county as they said good-night.

  While James cleared the table and washed up, Jackson held and played with the baby. They both watched Hattie go through the rag bag James had brought from the bunk house until she settled on a leg panel from some old Levis and the dark blue sleeve of a shirt that was printed with white stars. He could remember Cliff wearing it when he was Tony’s age as his go-to-town shirt. She used a worn yellow bandana to cut out a miniature one for the doll. In minutes she laid the doll down on top and cut the denim, then repeated the process to cut the shirt.

  James brought them both another cup of coffee, and settled down beside them, setting the coffee pot and the last quarter of the cake in the middle of the table. Hattie smiled at him in gratitude and leaned back. “Maybe I should just cut a denim barn coat for him, forget about the leather vest.”

  “Naw,” he rose and brought a small handful of leather and laid it on the table. “This should work well for boots, vest, and maybe even a hat.”

  There was a howdy from the door and Hank stepped back in. “Saw the lamp was still lit. Oh, so that’s what happens to leftover cake.” He pointed to the cake plate and the waiting saucers.

  “Join us,” Jackson said and J.D. waved his arms and Hank took him as he sat down.

  He laughed when the baby shook the naked doll at him. “I see. Your pretty momma is going to make your naked Jasper some clothes. He nodded at the scraps on the table. Good choice, maybe we ought to call him Cliff, Jr.”

  James shook his head, divided the cake into four pieces and gave them each a fork.

  Hattie positioned the doll’s feet on the leather, but rose to get a pencil to trace with before cutting the soft kid skin. She made a wave along the top of the boot leg, and carefully cut out four pieces. She traded J.D. a small blob of icing for the doll and traced a pattern for the vest. She looked across at James. He nodded and she put down the scissors and handed the doll back to the boy. “Okay, but I don’t think I can figure out the hat.”

  Hank nodded at James. “Boyd can make it, can’t you James, maybe even a gun belt.”

  James made a face at him as he finished his small slice of cake.

  “Yeah, you can do it, carve him a couple of little tiny pistols, too.”

  They all laughed. James stood to carry the empty cake plate and fork into the kitchen. “Hank, anything else you want to volunteer me for before you leave, you dang cake thief?”

  Hank grinned. “I didn’t come back for cake and I’d watch who you go calling a cake thief. Seems you already had plans for it when I came in.”

  J.D. turned to Hattie and she quickly stacked the cut out pieces and returned the other scraps to the rag bag before standing to take the baby and blow out the lamp.

  Jackson rose as well, gathering the coffee cups and pot to carry out to the kitchen. Hank rose, bowing as she passed. “Boss, the reason I came back was I forgot to tell you about the roan mare. Noticed she was getting ready to foal and wondered if you wanted me to bring her in tomorrow.”

  “Probably best. Goodnight men.” He followed Hattie and didn’t wait to see if they left or stayed.

  <><><>

  The next morning, Hattie was ironing clothes when the men rode in with the mare on a lead, a tiny strawberry foal behind her. She returned
the iron to the hot stove, wiped the sweat from her face and picked up Jackie to follow them over to the main corral. The breeze cooled her and J.D. baby talked all the way over, holding his pony and alternately shaking it and biting on its nose or hooves. Jackson led the mare inside and tied her to the corner of the corral, running a hand down her neck and talking soothingly to her.

  Hattie whispered, “J.D., see the baby horse, the pretty little red pony.”

  He shook his toy and grinned and she pointed to the mare and foal. Jackson walked widely around the mare keeping well out of range of her heels in case the motion spooked her. He smiled as her baby instinctively moved around and leaned against the mare’s far side so she was out of sight.

  He climbed up and over the corral, talking to his son as well. “It’s a filly, Jackie, you see the pretty baby.” He took his son and walked down along the rail, stooping so the baby in his arms could peek through the rails. The mare whinnied in fright and the little horse kicked up her heels in a kind of jump. J.D. squealed in delight and Hattie smiled, running a hand along the rail and stopping to take the boy from Jackson. Jackie leaned around her, seeing the little filly, and again squealed in delight.

  She and Jackson hugged and together held him up, laughing. “She’s so perfect,” Hattie whispered, “a perfect little strawberry.”

  He smiled at the joy on both their faces, and hugged her again. “Almost as pretty as my little strawberry,” he gave her a quick hard kiss, and Hattie leaned back in surprise.

  Flustered, she forced herself to relax. She was probably as red as the gingham dress she wore. “I was ironing.”

  He sighed, disappointed again at the quick tension in her body at the sudden kiss. When was he going to remember in time to avoid spooking her? His head knew that with Hattie it would always need to be slow and gentle, but his body hadn’t learned yet.

  “Glad you stopped to bring the boy out to see them. Here, I can take him if you need to go back to your work.”

  Hattie wanted to protest, to hold on to the baby and the shared joy from minutes ago, but she couldn’t. Once again she had pushed him away. Smiling bravely, she surrendered the baby and turned to walk back to the house.

  <><><>

  That night they lay together, her head cradled on his shoulder. Once again he had listened as she talked about the day, then he had surprised her by talking about the mare and filly. He had spent an hour in the morning and another in the evening with the pair, just stroking and talking to both. He wanted the little filly to be gentle enough for J.D. to pet and ride around the corral by next year, his first real horse. As she listened, he told her of his plans to raise blood horses as well as cattle. With the natural spring on their land, he could invest in some brood stock without having to worry about losing it during droughts.

  “How was the house when you went there the other day?”

  “I wondered when you would ask.” It’s all right, but it would be better if someone lived there. Now you won’t be going back, maybe you’ll want to sell it or rent the place out.”

  “I won’t be going home?” she asked, sitting up. “Why not?”

  “Because we’re married and this is your home now. J.D. and I are your family.”

  The answer was true, she knew it was true, but she’d always felt she belonged, taking care of the Stoddard ranch.

  He sat up beside her, his back braced against the headboard. His voice broke on the question, “Don’t you like living in this house with J.D. and me?”

  She turned and stared at him, her heart in her eyes. She reached out to touch his face, then leaned in to kiss him softly. “I love it. It’s a wonderful house; and you and Jackie, you mean everything in the world to me. I just know Dad would have wanted me to take care of our ranch.”

  Jackson knew it was probably the time to tell her about the taxes and the deed he had to her ranch, but he held back. He didn’t want to risk the trust and intimacy of the moment. Sitting naked in bed with this beautiful woman who was scooting down into him, he wasn’t about to reveal secrets that would raise walls between them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  That Sunday, Hattie wore another blouse and skirt from the cupboard. This time she chose a pale blue blouse and matching skirt, mainly because there was a matching bonnet. It was Jackie who first noticed the blue-birds, one on the shoulder of the blouse, the other on the cap of the bonnet. She changed his gown to the one with the blue-bird and its matching bonnet.

  Jackson smiled at them, and then surprised her by changing from his white shirt to a matching blue one. When he stood behind them and they all stared at their reflection in the mirror, J.D. crowed with delight.

  They ended up eating at the table, then hurrying to load onto the buckboard. James wheeled past the corral and Hattie pointed to the red filly just to hear Jackie squeal at the sight of her.

  The week had been an exhausting one, even with James at hand to help with the cooking and chores. She had made a second batch of pickles, and also had crocks working, one with sour cucumbers and the other with shredded cabbage. They had moved everything down into the cool of the root cellar. J.D. sat on her lap, his little cowboy in one hand, the red pony in the other. At least the little cowboy was properly dressed, even if he looked more like he was going out on a Saturday night in his bright shirt and yellow kerchief then to church services.

  Jackson had volunteered to tool the leather. Using a few nails he heated in a small fire and wearing a leather glove, he used one after the other to make a chain design down the front of the leather vest and a matching design up the sides and along the top of each boot. Even though they were pretty simply made, the dark burned design on the leather made them look like the real thing at first glance.

  Not to be outdone, James had whittled and blackened a pair of small guns and cut and made a belt with holsters. J.D. knew his cowboy was special because the cowhands all kept asking to play with him so they could inspect the work on the ten gallon hat, boots, and the little gun belt. But when J.D. almost swallowed one of the toy guns and Hattie had to pick the hat up for the twentieth time in an hour, the holsters and hat had gone to rest on the mantle shelf where the outlaw finger still resided in its little jar of alcohol inside the large match box.

  At church, they were early enough to enter before the Dawsons and most of the congregation arrived. J.D. was fussy but Jackson let him teethe on his fingers, careful to avoid the sharp little tooth that was already through. Hattie helped by rattling the pony’s bells when he grew irritated and giving him something to grab for. She had even brought the lamb and the little red rattle and Jackson sat him on the bench between them with all his toys around him where they kept turns distracting him.

  Irene and Charles stopped and admired him, but didn’t insist on taking him this time. Hattie wondered if they were still embarrassed by his antics the Sunday before.

  When the sermon ended, the Dawsons exited quickly, once again giving Hattie a scowl when they noticed she again wore Donna’s clothes. Hattie gathered toys while Jackson wrangled the baby. Everyone seemed to be waiting to smile at them and admire J.D.

  Finally, Rubye White stood in front of them and J.D. nearly bounced out of Hattie’s arms in excitement. Rubye cried and took him as Hattie released him. She leaned her cheek against the baby’s, tears in her eyes. Jackson reached out and patted her shoulder. Hattie blinked, surprised at the tears in her own eyes. When Rubye started to speak and couldn’t and tried to hand J.D. back, Hattie stepped forward and opened her arms to both of them.

  Rubye swiped at her eyes. “I hope you can forgive me …the tooth. I’m so sorry for all I said, for telling the preacher.

  “Hush,” Jackson said.

  Hattie stared at her. “We owe you so much. If you hadn’t said it all, jumped to the wrong conclusion, and forced the issue…”

  “We wouldn’t be married.” Jackson finished. “I will always be grateful for being pushed to do what I secretly wanted to do all along.”

&nb
sp; Hattie stared up at him, surprised to hear her thoughts coming out of Jackson’s mouth.

  “Does that mean, you’ll let me come home?”

  Jackson smiled. “James is ready to quit if you don’t.”

  Hattie looked up at Jackson, “Can we go by and get her things and take her home now.”

  He left an arm around Hattie and reached for J.D. – then passed him to Hattie. “Nothing makes more sense.”

  <><><>

  In front of the Dawson’s house, they waited while an elated Rubye raced upstairs, James behind her. While they waited, it became clear that Charles and Irene were not going to emerge to talk to their son-in-law. Hattie had to wonder again what Donna would have wanted them to do. They were her parents, the grandparents to her son. Would she have understood their reaction or expected them to rise above their own feelings to make sure that J.D. received their love?

  Jackson looked grim as he sat beside her, then he looked down at the sleepy baby in her arms. J.D. was growing every day, his sturdy little body felt heavier. How must he feel to Hattie? Carefully he took the baby, hoisting his sleepy body upright against his chest until he heard a loud burp. He and Hattie exchanged smiles and he reached down to pat her hand.

  For the second time this morning, she knew he had been sharing her thoughts. Rubye and James emerged minutes later with two carpet bags full of belongings and a small memory chest.

  Soon Rubye had been helped into the back of the buckboard, seated so her back was to James Boyd, a fact that somehow seemed significant to Hattie as she stared from one smiling face to the other, before they were off on their way home.

  James snapped the horses into a trot, and Tony jogged his pony close beside them. “Figured to stay in town, boss, maybe have dinner with Maria.”

  Jackson nodded, shouting, “Keep your eyes and ears open.”