Joshua overheard the commotion, set down the carrot, posted the foal on the tree, and ran over, just as Amy started to chase after one of the chickens.
“No, no!” Joshua shouted, coming toward her. “Don’t chase after it, just go back and shut the henhouse, so that no more get free!”
Amy obliged, and Joshua swiftly, and expertly, wrangled the other two loose chickens. He grabbed them by their necks, secured them under his arms, and, then, walked over to the henhouse and placed them in, securing the door behind them.
“I’m so sorry,” Amy said, embarrassed. “I’m not used to farm animals, and I didn’t realize I’d left the door open… Do you want me to chase after that other one and fetch it?”
“Chasing that hen would be pointless and unproductive,” Joshua laughed. “It’s already out of sight, and we can’t waste our time trying to find it. We can’t neglect the cows—or the people who depend on their milk—in order to recover one ornery bird. It’ll either find its way back to the house, or make a good supper for some lucky wild animal.”
Joshua bowed his head, hid his grin under the brim of his hat, and gestured for Amy to follow him to the grazing area.
“I really am sorry,” Amy called out from behind. “As I said, I’m not accustomed to farm animals.”
“Don’t fret,” Joshua said, turning back to look at her. His smile was fully visible now, and Amy was tickled by it. “I made my fair share of mistakes when we first got out here five years ago. But, I learned from them—and, so long as you’re willing to learn too, you’ll be fine. You’ll get the hang of it all. It just takes time.”
As tickled as Amy was by Joshua’s smile, she was touched by this statement. However, one word in it surprised her.
“We?” Amy asked, focusing on his use of that particular pronoun. “Did you move out here with your parents? Will I be meeting them? Are they coming to our wedding?”
Other than his parents, or, maybe, his siblings, Amy couldn’t imagine who else the “we” was who’d come out to Arizona—and, Joshua was not yet ready to tell her.
“My parents are both dead,” Joshua replied, answering only part of her question. The glowing smile was gone from his face and was replaced by something more grim and determined.
“The cows need milked twice a day,” he went on, coming up upon them. “Once in the early morning, and once in late-afternoon.”
Joshua walked to the barn, grabbed a stool and bucket, and went over to one of the cows. He placed the stool beside the animal, sat down on it, and rolled up his sleeves.
“Come over,” he said, reaching toward the cow’s underside. “I’ll show you how to milk her.”
Amy joined Joshua beside the beast and watched as he worked its udders, paying careful mind to his instructions. She was impressed by how skillfully he milked the cow, but even more so impressed by his demeanor. Just like he’d done with the foal, he treated the cow so gently and with such consideration, and Amy was, again, moved by it.
“Now you try,” Joshua said, rising to his feet and urging Amy toward the stool.
Reluctantly, Amy sat down and sheepishly moved her hands toward the cow. Joshua thought, for a moment, about stopping her and telling her to roll up her sleeves, to make the chore easier and prevent her blouse from getting unnecessarily soiled. But, that moment passed, and he stopped himself before he said anything to stop her, out of consideration for what he assumed was her modesty.
As Amy fumbled with the cow, Joshua couldn’t help but chuckle, and, soon enough, Amy, too, found herself laughing.
“Here,” Joshua said, kneeling down on the ground beside the cow, “let me show you again.” As Joshua reached toward the cow, Amy retracted, and their hands almost touched.
“You have to pull like this,” Joshua said, blushing. Amy felt her own cheeks get warm and crinkle. She smiled at Joshua, and he smiled back—and, they both regarded each other with warmth.
“I see you found him,” Portia said, walking toward the couple. With all that had happened, Amy all but forget that her chaperone had come with her.
“Indeed, she did,” Joshua responded as he stood up and tipped his hat at his neighbor. “But no sooner than she found me, I must disappear again… I plan on leaving here within two hours, and I need to fetch the foal, ready it, and read my own steed.”
Joshua looked back at Amy. “You seem to have the hang of it,” he told her. “So, keep up the good work—and, remember, it’ll get easier in time.”
Amy was flattered and motivated by Joshua’s comment, and she resumed milking the cow as Joshua walked back towards the house. With a little more guidance and help from Portia, she went on to milk the rest of the cows for the next three hours and didn’t even realize when Joshua left for Green Bush.
SIX
After a long day of chores and milking Joshua’s six cows for a combined total of ten hours, Amy’s hands hurt terribly the next morning. Her palms and fingers ached, and she had two small blisters on her right thumb. But, nonetheless, she had chores to do, and she wasn’t going to let the pain stop her.
Indeed, as Joshua had said, the task of milking the cows got easier in time, but it still wasn’t an “easy” job by any measure. Amy was able to finish the morning milking in less time, but the majority of that time was both arduous and awkward.
After doing some other chores around the ranch and enjoying a light lunch with Portia, Amy returned to the cows to start the afternoon milking while her chaperone sat down for a nap on the porch.
As Amy worked the cows’ udders for the second session, her hands throbbed, and her arms felt encumbered, both by the chore and by her clothing. She thought of what Portia had said the previous morning—about rolling up her sleeves—and, she reluctantly did as her elder had suggested.
Sure enough, Amy found the task much easier with her sleeves rolled up, and that ease made her forget about her affliction for the time being.
Amy had been milking the cows for just under two hours, and her mind was fully invested in the task, when, all of a sudden, she was interrupted.
“You’ve really got the hang of it now,” Joshua said, walking up upon her.
Amy wasn’t expecting Joshua to return until evening, and she was very shocked to see him. She jumped up from her stool and hid the bulk of her body behind the cow, desperately fussing with her sleeves to cover her scarred arms.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Joshua said, chuckling at her response.
Amy, however, did not find any humor in the situation. She felt very vulnerable and embarrassed, and was scared that he’d seen her scars.
“I’m done with this cow anyway,” she said, nervously stepping away from the animal. But she wasn’t looking where she was going, and, no sooner than she moved, she stumbled and tripped over the pail of milk she’d been filling.
The milk spilled over onto the ground and Amy fell forward, and Joshua lunged toward her, catching her just before she, too, could spill over.
“Oh no!” Amy cried out as she fell into Joshua’s arms. “I’m terribly sorry.” Once Amy was secure and Joshua saw that she was steady, he let go of her, even though part of him still longed to hold her.
“A wise man once said not to cry over spilled milk,” Joshua quipped. Yet, Amy did not see any cause for humor.
“I’ll clean this up,” she said, staring down at the mess.
“That’s alright,” Joshua said pleasantly. “I’ll clean it. You’ve had a long day of chores and are surely tired, whereas I’ve had a day of travel, and my limbs could use the labor.”
“Very well,” Amy replied. She still felt very embarrassed, about her scars, as well as the accident.
“Tomorrow is a new day,” Joshua said in a calming voice. “Go back to the Millers’, get some rest, and, by God’s graces, you’ll forget about this by morning.”
Amy turned and left the barn and went and roused Portia. She didn’t tell her chaperone about what had happened, though it plagued her mind for the re
st of the afternoon and evening. When she went to bed, she was reminded of Joshua’s parting words, and she hoped that, like he’d said, she’d forget about the incident by morning… Unfortunately, however, she did not.
The next morning, when she awoke, the first thing Amy thought about was how she’d disappointed—and failed—Joshua. But, rather than be dismal about it, Amy was determined. She decided to do her best to not disappoint him again, and vowed to approach her work with new purpose and gusto.
Sure enough, Amy did a stellar job at her chores that morning. For the most part, she worked independently of Joshua, as he was off tending to livestock matters.
She milked the cows in record time, with no accidents, and watered the other farm animals, making sure that none of them—especially the chickens—got free. Indeed, by the time Joshua came round to dismiss her, she’d successfully accomplished a lot, even though her work day ended early.
“You can call it quits for the day,” Joshua said when Amy came to the barn for the afternoon milking. “I’ll milk the cows, and you can head back to the Millers’ to ready yourself for the festival this evening.”
Amy had been walking around on eggshells the entire day, careful not to mess up or expose her scars again, and had nearly forgotten about the festival. But, as soon as Joshua reminded her, she was excited. She remembered what Portia had said about it, and looked forward to the merriment. It would come as a welcome distraction, she thought, from the “bad luck” she’d been having as per her accidents on the ranch.
But, despite what Amy thought, and no matter how much she craved the distraction, when evening came, it came with more disappointment.
After Amy left Joshua’s ranch, returned to the Millers’, and readied herself, she went to the festival with Portia and met up with Joshua some time later. The festival proved to be everything Portia said, and more, and, for some time, Amy greatly enjoyed it. She’d never been to an event like this before, not in New York or Boston, and she found the experience enchanting, especially the music.
A great jamboree was happening in the town square, and, as the evening progressed, several men took to a platform and performed melodies on banjos, guitars, or other instruments.
After listening for a while, Joshua commented that he was hungry and asked Amy if she’d like to go to the baker’s stand with him to get something to eat. Amy, too, was hungry, so she agreed and left with him, while Portia stayed by the platform.
“I have a weakness for sweets,” Joshua said as he and Amy neared the baker’s stand. He grabbed a bag of sugar-covered dough balls and paid the man behind the stand.
“You must try these,” he said, holding the bag out in front of Amy. “They’re delicious.”
Amy reached into the bag and pulled out a dough ball. She put it into her mouth and nodded her head in approval.
“Let’s take a stroll. I’ll show you around town,” Joshua said.
“Alright,” Amy replied. Out of politeness, she opted not to tell him that Portia had showed her around three days earlier.
Joshua took Amy around town, pointing out the different buildings and businesses as they both intermittently ate dough balls.
“And, here’s the clothing merchant,” Joshua said in front of the store. “Portia told me the two of you will be coming into town to get some clothes—and your wedding dress—early next week. I have an account here, and you can get whatever you want, including work clothes or something… fancier.”
Amy bowed her head and nodded. She felt uncomfortable thinking about clothing.
“This dress is quite nice,” Joshua said, walking closer to the window. Amy looked up and saw the garment he was admiring. It was an elaborate wedding gown with a lace overlay and pearls sewn into the fabric. It was quite modern and daring—and, it had short sleeves.
“Expense is not an issue,” Joshua said, sensing Amy’s concern over the garment and assuming it was based on the cost. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I’d be much happier in a dress like that,” Amy said, gesturing toward the dress next to the one Joshua was ogling. It wasn’t a wedding dress, but it’s lose fit and long sleeves demonstrated the attributes Amy was after.
“Oh,” Joshua said, crestfallen, as he eyed the less fashionable garment. “Pity you don’t like the other one… You’d look quite lovely in it.” Joshua was shocked at his own forwardness and candor, and, as he appraised the fragile look on Amy’s face, he feared that she was shocked too.
But, that fragile look on Amy’s face wasn’t there because she took offense to Joshua’s kind statement. It was there because she felt as though she’d disappointed him—again. On top of losing his chicken and spilling a pail of milk, she’d now told him that she wasn’t interested in the type of wedding dress he envisioned.
Amy worried that Joshua might lose interest in her in light of her disappointments. So, she prayed to God for a way to get into Joshua’s good graces—and, as Joshua popped a dough ball into his mouth and started off toward the town square, her prayers were answered.
SEVEN
“Are you sure about this?” Portia asked, raising her eyebrow at Amy.
“Yes,” Amy answered, grinning.
“Alright then,” Portia replied. “If you say so.”
Portia put the onion into her basket, alongside a dozen green apples, then made her way to the clerk.
“And you’re sure you don’t want to come to the festival tonight?” Portia asked next, after paying.
“Yes,” Amy answered, still grinning. “I’ve got to bake this pie tonight if I have any chance of getting it to the judges by tomorrow morning.”
It was Saturday afternoon, and the women were in town getting groceries. The night before, after disappointing Joshua outside of the clothing merchant’s store, Amy noticed a stand that’d been set up for the pie contest. The sign on it said that all entries by due in by Sunday morning—so, like she told Portia, if she wanted to enter the contest, she had to bake her pie that night, which meant missing out on the festival.
“I hope you’re not staying home for no good reason,” Portia said as the two of them left the market. “I’ve never heard of putting onions in an apple pie.”
“It was my mother’s recipe,” Amy responded. “Trust me… the judges will love it.”
Portia shook her head, and the two women returned to their horses. On the way, they passed the clothing merchant, and Amy saw the dress again, which looked even more beautiful in daylight, and regretted that she wouldn’t be able to appease Joshua by wearing it. But, she refocused that regret into motivation. If she couldn’t appease his interests, she figured she could at least appease his pride—and his sweet tooth—by baking a pie that’d do well in the contest.
The women made their way back to Portia’s homestead and unloaded their parcels, then Portia went off to get ready for the festival. “What would you like me to tell Joshua when he asks where you are?” she asked just before leaving.
“Tell him I had something important I had to attend to,” Amy answered. “I don’t want him to know about the pie just yet. I want it to be a surprise.”
“Okay,” Portia replied, grinning. “I’ll keep it a secret.”
Amy bid her host farewell and swiftly started peeling the apples. She had a lot of work ahead of her, but she was committed to doing it, because it was worth it.
Meanwhile, at the festival, Joshua meandered around halfhearted. When Portia told him Amy decided to stay home to take care of something important, he didn’t asked any questions. He’d been married before, after all, and knew well enough that women liked their privacy when tending to personal matters.
Still, Joshua wished that Amy was with him. He’d had great fun with her the night before, and had found her quite endearing. The more he got to know her, the fonder he grew of her, which was something that both excited and scared him.
By the end of the night, Joshua missed Amy terribly and had come to terms with the fact that he had feelings
for her. Granted, he didn’t want, or expect, to fall in love again, and he’d hoped for a homely bride for whom he felt no passion—but, like it or not, fate delivered Amy to him, and he was starting to develop strong feelings for her. So, he decided to embrace those feelings, rather than run from them, and give Amy the benefit of the doubt and hope that she, too, would not hurt him.
When Joshua left the festival, he couldn’t wait to see Amy again. But, alas, he had to wait—though, fortunately, not very long.
Sunday morning came, and Amy went into town early to leave her pie for the judges. After doing so, she went to the church for weekly service. And, there, she found Joshua waiting.
The two of them greeted each other and engaged in small talk. Joshua respected Amy’s privacy and didn’t ask about the previous evening. But, he assumed that, given Amy’s disposition, her night must have gone successfully, since she was all smiles and beaming.
When the other townspeople started going into the church, Joshua and Amy followed, and they each took seats on opposite sides of the room, joining other unmarried men and women, respectably, in the congregation.
As the minister approached the pulpit, Joshua glanced over at Amy, and their eyes met. They both blushed and smiled at each other, then collected themselves when the minister began.
After reading a few passages from the bible, the minister spoke freely about the town festival and reminded his flock to celebrate responsibly and stay mindful of both their manners and their neighbors.
Once the service was done, as the flock began to file out of the church, Joshua glanced over at Amy again, who, by now, had already found Portia and was preparing to leave. Amy caught sight of him looking at her and excused herself to go talk to him.
“I’m going back with Portia now, for lunch,” she said. “But, I’ll be at the festival tonight.”
“Excellent,” Joshua replied with a big smile. “Make sure you’re here in time for the corn-husking competition… It’s being held by the market.”
Mail Order Bride: JUMBO Mail Order Bride 20 Book Box Set Page 16
